


Lle na all yr haul cyrraedd

by cwtchbuddy



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Aliens, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Barebacking, Childbirth, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, M/M, Minor Original Character(s), Mpreg, Original Character Death(s), Outer Space, Public Sex, Rimming, Romance, Science Fiction, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-02
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-07-10 22:49:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 75,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7011421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cwtchbuddy/pseuds/cwtchbuddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As part of a NASA project to look for a new home for humanity, Yixing, along with his crew, travels to a formerly undiscovered planet through the portal they built for this purpose. What awaits them on the other side, however, is not just dry land and rocky mountains but sharp spears and intense eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Haven

**Author's Note:**

> First and foremost, I would like to thank my guiding stars, Kira and Lois! Without you two this fic wouldn’t be possible…or it would be but it would be trash. I cannot express enough how grateful I am to you both for always lending me your ears and your help! :’(
> 
> I used different languages (some you may identify as your own) for this fic. So to avoid confusion, here are some words that you have to take note of while you read the story as I have renamed some characters to be in keeping with the theme (So sorry for this but don’t worry it’s just in the first part of the fic). Translations can be found at the end of each chapter. :)
> 
> Teyrndlws - Yifan  
> Hirsch - Lu Han  
> Arian - Sehun  
> Efydd - Zitao  
> Kupfer - Jongin  
> Ohren - Chanyeol
> 
> Last thing, a sort-of warning for all of you who don’t like the idea of Yifan receiving: You may have to skip a few parts. Enjoy! Have fun as much as I did writing this! :)

_Pit. Pat. Pit. Pat._

Dark, wet and painful.

That’s what he had come home to; or rather what was left of what he could call home. The foundation and frame of his house were the only thing he could see as wisps of smoke dissipated into the air, grey and silent, selfish to tell the young boy of what had fallen upon him.

Yixing dropped his school bag and hunched himself on the floor as he watched the rain salvage whatever it could of what the boy knew of his house, of his family. Torrential rain started pouring down in time with his tears, sounds of sirens indicating the arrival of the necessary life-saving people who could’ve helped his family. But the rain got there first, did what it could but saved no one. Unknowingly it wrapped its wet hands around the sobbing boy and comforted him as people ran into his home, only to come out again empty-handed.

_“I’m sorry, kid,”_ Yixing wondered what the apology was for. Was it for not getting there fast enough? Or was it out of pity that from then on he would have to be on his own without a person to call his mother or his father?

The cemetery was darker than he had expected it to be. The rain pelting down on Earth must have contributed to the gloom but to the young boy it was nothing but helpful, to hide his tears and show a façade of strength instead as the darkness played shadows on his face well enough to hide the smallest of emotions. There was no one there to whisper comforting words to him and answer what would happen to his parents once their bodies are buried six feet below the ground or to him who will stay above it. He stayed behind to watch the men cover his parents’ with the wet earth, mumbling words he was never able to tell them, in hopes that each layer of dirt would be a letter to his deceased family.

_“I miss you.”_

He was too young, far too young to lose everything he had; his happiness, his home, his family. When he was informed by the social worker about finding him a place to stay with his relatives, he was hopeful that someone would still be there for him, to tuck him in at night and listen to his dreams. But fate was never one of kindness and soon, instead of a relative’s house, he was brought to an orphanage, a place where he thought he could find children of his age who he could be friends with. However, instead of finding that, he found something else, something he never wanted to find.

_Loneliness._

He had been such a bright kid, cheerful and full of dreams; to reach for the stars and be one with them. The orphanage sucked it all out of him and the rain was the only thing willing to fill him and empty him of resentful feelings. What he had to keep from others, he shared to the rain. What he didn’t show others, he showed to the rain; his frailty and his aspirations. But there was one thing he didn’t tell the rain, afraid that the only thing willing to accompany him would shun him. He didn’t tell the rain that he longed for someone to take its place, that instead of being cold, he wanted warmth to envelop him, someone who would understand, who was willing to accept him just as the rain did.


	2. Byd Newydd

“Yixing, we’re going in ten.” The astrophysicist stands up from where he’s been sitting for god knows how long already, stomping his feet on the floor to wake his legs from their slumber before following the head astronaut he’ll be going on the expedition with, Minseok. He enters another room along with three other engineers and scientists. There, Yixing puts on the last parts of his space suit, clicking his helmet in place as the final piece. After finishing his preparations, the scientist leaves the room ahead of the others, stepping foot on the launch pad before anyone else.

The circular area is nothing grandiose, being the same place where they have built most, if not all, of what they will be using for the expedition, from their invention that will be their main means of transportation to the new technology they will be bringing with them. In the center of the room stands what they have aptly named the _Gate to the Heavens,_ the main area of the machine being a massive circular object that is, at first, empty in the middle. However, once it is powered and starts spinning, it transmits rays of light that connect across the diameter. Once they all meet in the middle they mold into one and create a silver surface of light that closely resembles mercury in colour; the passage to the other side.

A ramp is connected to the whole system and at the end of it, _The Chariot,_ a vehicle that was built especially for their expedition, lies in wait. It resembles an armoured car, if only a bit wider and the windshield thicker and spanning the width of the front of the vehicle. Hidden beneath is machinery that will make the wheels fold into and disappear beneath the vehicle to make way for boosters that can be fired up when they need to fly, whether it is to save time or to avoid the rough roads–if there are any. It is definitely not the most aesthetically pleasing but it has everything that the crew needs for the voyage they will be embarking on.

When Yixing looks a little higher, he sees the timer at the other end of the room. With its blinking red light, it says that they still have a little over five minutes left before they leave. Without anyone to hug and kiss goodbye, or even make a promise of quick return to, the scientist enters the vehicle first. From behind the thick tinted glass of his window, he eyes his colleagues as they share warm embraces and tears of both joy and pain with their loved ones. Determined not to get carried away by the sight, a deep sigh escapes his lips as he buckles his seatbelt, eyes moving from the metal joinings of his safety belt towards the silvery light that will serve as their portal to the other side, to another part of the galaxy that they have yet to discover.

Even with the data they received from the rover they sent through a few weeks ago, they still cannot properly tell where the planet they will be going to is located. The information they have acquired do not match with any that they have in their system and they also cannot find the rover’s location, which means that wherever it landed might not be within their solar system. But it doesn't stop them from pursuing with their expedition, only urging them further to explore what awaits them beyond the portal.

No matter how many times Yixing looks at the portal’s shiny surface, to try and see what is on the other side, he finds nothing but the same silver blob that is supposed to connect them to where their rover landed and went missing. He still sees this creation as a beauty, simple yet stunning. The fact that he is part of the team that created it makes his chest swell with pride as he eyes what is possibly the greatest invention of the 21st century.

The scientist snaps out of his reverie when he hears the doors being opened, a pair of raucous voices, probably from Jongdae and Baekhyun, loudly talking about how they made their parents cry by telling them that they won’t be returning, by choice. _Childish,_ Yixing thinks but that’s also what makes the duo fun to work with; a word or two from either of the pair can easily lighten the mood and draw laughter from the ones they share the room with.

“Ready, men?” Minseok, the leader of the expedition and most experienced one of them all, inquires, looking behind him to check that the whole crew is strapped and good to go. When everyone nods to him, he smiles and turns his attention back to the front, the timer slowly ticking and counting down the last ten seconds. The leader and oldest of the group slowly inches their vehicle forward. They are not even sure if a specially-built truck is the best choice for their expedition but since the rover seemed to have landed on level ground when it arrived to the other side, they reckon it should do.

Minseok pushes them forward after a final go signal from the tower. Yixing doesn’t know what to expect, as they are the first humans to enter the portal, so they have no idea what they’ll have to endure as they pass through the silver light in between the cylinder that Yixing experimented on. He closes his eyes and upon Minseok’s advice, pushes the button to activate his helmet, the device quickly closing off and providing him with oxygen.

Yixing closes his eyes due to the blinding light coming from the portal but, out of curiosity, he opens them again a few seconds after, and he can’t close them anymore afterwards. His surroundings blur and when he looks to his left and his right, he finds no one but himself. He panics a little but then the portal starts working on him, stretching and pulling his body, making him dizzy as he’s sucked into another dimension. He sees different flashes of light in zig zagged, straight and curved lines. The scientist feels his previous meal being pushed out of his body but he tries to keep it in, aware that he is wearing a helmet. His ears tingle when he hears other people’s voices, shouting, some in panic, some in thrill and he is slightly comforted by the fact that he is actually not alone. He knows he has to close his eyes to avoid the dizzying feeling but the lights around him, created by the connection between the two worlds, have him transfixed, the scientist in him wants to put everything into memory. Then he feels a certain pull forward, the force so strong he feels like his skin is being peeled off of his body. He surmises that this is the last part of the journey through the hole, so he holds on tight to his seat as the lights seem to come together, intensifying as they do so until there is no other color but white. Immediately after, everything goes black.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Global warming had started to become a more prominent problem than it had been ten years ago, the people of Earth seemingly uncaring that the polar caps had now melted, that summer seemed to be warmer, longer and more humid now. The same went for winter, stretching and taking over what was supposed to be spring. The planet did not seem to be salvageable anymore, no matter how much the world leaders tried to make the people realize the harm that the smallest of their actions have on Earth. Because of this, the top scientists and engineers of the new generation were gathered by NASA to further their studies and technology, in hopes of finding a planet suitable for human life, and one of those chosen was Zhang Yixing.

 

The buzzing of Yixing’s smartphone in his pants pocket made him jump, the call arriving right before he had to leave the laboratory he worked in at his alma mater, MIT. A man with a very deep Southern accent greeted him, the tones making it hard for the non-native to completely understand what the man was saying. The person on the other end introduced himself as Jake White, saying that he was currently heading NASA’s efforts in furthering space explorations in order to find a viable planet for humans to live on, in case Earth comes to the point where it becomes uninhabitable. After a few repetitions, Yixing finally understood what the call was about.

“We are offering you a position as part of the latest crew that we are putting together,” Jake said, making sure the words were separated well for the Chinese man to understand.

Yixing had nothing to lose and when Mr. White told him about the project, he confirmed his attendance to the orientation that would be held in NASA’s Headquarters in Washington the following month without even consulting any of his supervisors, the excitement that coursed through his veins making him forget the proper procedures for when such offers were given to scientists employed at his alma mater. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and to be sought out like that by a coveted organization made him feel important for once. The young scientist informed his research laboratory’s higher ups about NASA’s recruitment of his genius and wasted no time in packing his belongings. After preparing three suitcases and clearing out his apartment, Yixing was ready to take on the universe, quite literally.

The night before Yixing's flight to D.C., while he was lying on his side with his eyes fixed on the way the lampposts outside created shadows that were dancing on his walls, the soft black slowly creeping to his bed, its finger-like extensions seemingly clawing at his body to devour him into the darkness, he had some sort of epiphany. It was only then that he realized that accepting NASA's offer meant that he had to acclimatize himself once more to his new surroundings, both his living and working environment, to the people he had to share his work with and to the everyday people he had to bump into in the place he would be living in. It would be a new world to him, once more, just like when he first stepped foot into the U.S. The scientist always had problems with meeting new people, ever since he had troubles mingling with other kids before, leading to him resigning himself to always being alone with his books, not daring to make friends. Although moving to America helped a little with this problem, he still couldn't help but feel a little scared that a repeat of his past might happen, that he would once again be the odd one out.

That night, the scientist barely slept, eyes moving frantically beneath his lids as possible scenarios played in his head. But even with the slight fear of rejection, Yixing still woke up when his phone alarm went off, showered, dressed himself, ate his breakfast at the diner just across his flat before coming back to brush his teeth and fetch his belongings, leaving him with enough time to wait for his cab to take him to the airport. He knew he could still do a commendable job even if the people around him decided to push him away and ostracized him. Nothing and no one could stop him from achieving his lifelong dream, to reach for the stars.

 

Joining a new group meant meeting new people. And that was probably the only thing Yixing dreaded when he stepped foot into the building, forgetting that he also had to get used to the new place, how to get there and which cupboard he could use to stash his snacks. The daunting size of the edifice made the scientist feel small and even more nervous than he initially had, hands gripping tight on the strap of his satchel. He clasped and unclasped his hand around the faux leather as the elevator soared to its destination. With heavy steps, he brought himself to where the receptionist guided him to. He thanked the kind lady and told her that he’ll go in by himself and that he just needed a minute. She was nice enough to give him his space and walked back to her desk after congratulating the scientist. But before Yixing could even open the door to the conference room where he’ll be meeting the rest of the new recruits, a heavy weight welcomed itself on his shoulders.

“‘Sup, man? Yixing, right?” A chirpy voice accompanied by a glowing smile perked up from his right, “Heard you’d be part of the crew.” The man beamed even brighter towards Yixing, “Engineer Baekhyun, at your service!” He offered a hand which was immediately shaken by a different hand that was evidently not Yixing’s.

To the scientist’s left, another smile blinded him, the curl of the corner of his lips half-sinister and half-adorable, “만나서 반갑습니다 변백현씨.” Yixing heard him speak in a language he vaguely recognized as Korean, the man’s tone and accent making it known to everyone that he was a native. “Ah, Mr. Zhang,” the man quickly shifted his attention to Yixing, seeing as Baekhyun didn’t look as welcoming, his tongue curling around the English words, “Engineer Jongdae Kim at your beck and call.” The man, Jongdae, offered his other hand to Yixing which the scientist promptly shook. Baekhyun tried to wriggle his hand free from the other Korean and when he had successfully removed it from the Jongdae’s tight grip, he offered it again for Yixing to shake. The scientist gladly obliged and took the calloused hand in his, firmly grasping and shaking it.

Then they left Yixing waiting by the door, going ahead of him after their little introduction. They looked like they knew each other prior to the orientation, exchanging banter as they walked to their designated seats. Yixing was sure the two would end up breaking something they would work on in the future but NASA had to have a good reason for recruiting them even if they seemed to have such tendencies.

The scientist inhaled deeply as he eyed the people inside the room whose attention were away from him, exchanging names and theories. With a sigh, he stood in line with the door’s frame, all eyes immediately fell to his figure, their stares were unnerving and made him sweat even more despite the cool temperature. He smiled shakily, eyes catching Baekhyun who was grinning at him and giving him a thumbs up. The scientist bowed slightly to the people in attendance, the corner of his lips still curved up for a nervous smile.

“Hello,” his English was a bit shaky, most probably from the nerves. Braving through his anxiety, he continues, “My name is Yixing, pleased to meet you all.” His eyes were wide in astonishment when everyone greeted him warmly, unlike what he had expected, and directed him to his seat.

Yixing visibly relaxed, done with the first step, before he finally walked into the room, into a new world. A new world meant to discover a new universe.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

“Yixing, Yixing.” The scientist sluggishly opens his eyes, only to close them again when he sees nothing but grey smoke, thinking this might still be a part of the portal. “Yixing, Yixing,” the voice calls out to him again, stressing his name even more as a hand shakes him from his stupor. He groans and slowly opens his eyes once more, only realizing then that he has fallen asleep, maybe even collapsing as a consequence of passing through the wormhole. The fog seems to have cleared out somehow in the few seconds that he closed his eyes and as he tries to acquaint himself with his surroundings, he slowly becomes aware of the pain that he feels in his head. Then, all of a sudden, everything he felt while they were being transported from one location to the other comes back to him and he feels like vomiting again.

“Yixing,” he recognizes Minseok’s voice, the elder’s hand placed on his shoulder to wake him. “We have to get you out of there,” he informs Yixing and that’s when the younger realizes that he is upside down, _their vehicle_ is upturned. “Can you hold on to the handle so you won’t fall while I remove your safety belt?” Yixing nods and even if he feels weak, he reaches for the handle and tries to keep his body in the same position while Minseok makes quick work of the elaborate straps secured around his body for his safety. Thankfully, he is able to keep his posture and with Minseok’s help he is able to securely get to the ground.

“What happened?” The scientist asks the leader of their expedition, eyes slowly focusing on the wreck that is the Chariot. Once he’s out of the vehicle and already standing on flat land, he sees that the other’s have removed their helmets and are salvaging whatever they can of their equipment.

“We landed upside down, as you can see.” Minseok gestures towards their vehicle, the tires blown, the windshield broken, smoke coming up from the bottom of The Chariot where the chassis is, the outer part of the doors scraped to reveal the inner layers of the thick metal door. It is a disaster; and a miracle that they are still alive.

When Yixing tries to walk towards the back of the vehicle to give a hand, he stumbles and if not for Minseok’s quick limbs he would have fallen face first on the foreign ground. “You have to rest before helping out,” the elder instructs him, guiding him to a boulder to sit down. “You can remove your helmet, according to Kyungsoo there is enough oxygen in this planet’s atmosphere. Better to save your air.” Yixing nods and deactivates the oxygen pump before removing his helmet. When Minseok leaves to aid the rest of the crew, he is given the time to look around and observe the planet they’ve landed on.

They seem to be in the middle of a barren gorge, its walls high and rocky, the land dry beneath Yixing’s boots. The ground seems firm, dusty sand layering it, as they have anticipated, based on the data they received before the rover went missing. He can even taste the grains of sand that the wind brings to his mouth. With just the vision of his surroundings, he expected for the temperature to be below what his body is used to but he feels the breeze kiss his cheeks with just the right amount of heat and cold. The perfect temperature makes him hum, closing his eyes for a split second just to be able to revel in it. He opens his eyes once more to scan the gorge, to find nothing but his crew. The scientist decides to look for the planet’s moon, to find out if it has none, one or many, letting the quiet little chatter from his crew envelop him along with the cool breeze.

Then he feels the ground beneath him rumble with the stampede coming towards them accompanied by noises, loud voices that manage to overpower the sound of the collective rushed movements.

 _“Eindringling!”_ His ears perk up at the foreign sound. He doesn’t remember having anyone in their crew who speaks something other than English and Korean and that word doesn’t sound anything like the Asian language at all. The word gets repeated over and over and it seems that it is being said by a multitude of people and not by one person only. With his knees still a bit weak, he stands up and walks towards their vehicle, the dust produced by the movements on the dry ground making him cough on his way to his crew.

Then he hears someone shriek, “Minseok!”

“Please, stop!” He sees Jongdae run to the front with Kyungsoo, hands raised in a way to placate whoever they have encountered. Baekhyun sprints to Minseok, hands pressing on the elder’s wound.

“Minseok! Minseok!” Yixing hears Baekhyun’s panic, the younger’s hands wrapping a cloth around the astronaut’s ankle.

The scientist struggles to get to his crew in hopes of helping in whatever way he can because he knows he can’t fight, having buried himself in books and arts, never in sports.

 _“Kudzipereka! Kudzipereka!”_ Yixing finds their crew surrounded by anything between thirty to fifty other men, or rather creatures that look like men to Yixing, at least.

Standing before them are other worldly beings, their form close to that of humans, except they seem to be taller than the average human and the tips of their ears are elongated similarly to how elves of lore look like. If one studies them more closely, they will find that these beings’ eyes have two different colors and the pairing is different for each individual. Some of these men have skin as pale as a sheet yet with a certain beauty to it but the ones in the forefront of the barricade have darker skin and are more rambunctious than the ones behind them.

They have their weapons pointed to the throats of Yixing’s crew; some wielding laser swords that the scientist has only seen in science fiction movies, others holding spears that look as if they’re the same length as their owners. The scientist steps forward and tries to stop the commotion but the beings seem to be intent on disposing them off, pointing their weapons to the ground as a sign to make them kneel. Yixing raises his hands in surrender and backs away. All eyes seem to be transfixed to Yixing and the weight of their gaze, not their weapons, makes him kneel on the ground.

One of them steps forward. A man, it seems, as he wears nothing on the top, revealing olive skin stretching over toned abs. He has black hair woven with violet streaks, a pointed nose and thin lips. He starts speaking to them, but they don't understand what he is saying. The crew looks at each other, Yixing’s eyes flitting to where Baekhyun and Minseok are surrounded by five of these beings.

 _“Symud o fy ffordd,”_ a deep resounding voice comes from the back of the group and he can see the beings move aside to give way for the man with the husky tone.

“Human.” Surprised at the sudden use of a language that he actually understands, Yixing looks up to meet eyes of gold and sapphire, thick eyebrows framing a handsomely-structured face. The man has silvery white hair that extends to his fingertips, a golden accessory, which the scientist presumes to be a crown, sits atop his head, making his presence even more otherworldly.

"You have intruded our planet." Yixing gulps, the being's voice sending surprisingly pleasant ripples up and down his spine, not really the kind of feeling he should be having in the face of death, "for this you must pay."

"I will do anything, just please forgive us,” Yixing pleads, eyes close to tearing as he hears Minseok gasp in pain. “We didn't mean to come uninvited," Yixing proceeds to explain the whole project to the man, without even being asked. His words are running a marathon with how fast he has to elucidate the innocence of him and his crew, afraid that their heads will be cut off if he doesn’t rush his explanations out. His colleagues nod beside him, still in awe at both the being’s handsome figure and that he can speak and understand their language.

"I see how it is. Yet, you _have_ illicitly intruded our planet. As retribution, you must offer yourself," the being finally tells Yixing, a beat after the scientist finishes his monologue, "that is the only way for you to be forgiven." Yixing’s throat goes dry as the man gestures for him to stand up. He points to himself, knees wobbly as he follows the being’s instruction.

"O-offer?" The scientist doesn’t think the dry surroundings are of any help to the current state of his throat, parched and wanting nothing but a good amount of water, or juice if he manages to find the packs he brought with him for his sweet tooth. Hundreds of thoughts run through Yixing’s mind at the single word that the being chose to use. But the thought that lingers in his mind is the possibility of being used as a sacrifice for these people. He didn't come here, a thousand, maybe even a million, light years away, only to die.

"You must marry me and be my companion," Yixing’s eyes open as wide as saucers while the other beings cheer for the man in front of him, "only then will your men,” the tall man gestures to the crew, “be able to roam free on our planet."

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

“Yixing,” Kyungsoo pokes his head into the room that the senior scientist is in. The Chinese’s space suit has been exchanged for clothes that the servants of the man who introduced himself as Prince Teyrndlws gave to him. Yixing motions for the other to come in, hand pulling up the fabric of his clothing that is pooling at his feet, the clothes too long for him seeing as everyone on this planet seems to be taller than humans. He notices that Kyungsoo has also changed his clothes but they are far less gaudy than Yixing’s.

“How is Minseok doing?” Yixing asks first, concern for their leader etched into his face. After they were brought to the palace, the night before, the prince told him and his crew to rest as it was already time for them to do so. The scientist didn’t find it in him to protest, easily falling into deep slumber right after he was led to his room, exhaustion taking over his body. The last thing he knows about their crew’s leader, is that Minseok, while having been brought to the palace together with them, was carried in a separate vehicle, accompanied by someone named Hirsch who Prince Teyrndlws assigned to take care of the astronaut.

“He’s doing well,” Kyungsoo assures him, eyes cast on the sleeping city before them. “They gave him sedatives and said they’ll examine his injury further.”

“Prince _Turndus_ said so?” Yixing inquires curiously, tongue twisting on the being’s name as his eyes follow Kyungsoo’s line of sight.

“I don’t think that’s how you pronounce his name Yixing,” The younger pulls back and looks behind them to make sure no one is overhearing their conversation, “but no, somebody else did. There are others here who can speak our language.” This surprises Yixing even more, a whole civilization of otherworldly beings who can speak their language while also having their own. The scientist still cannot believe it, that here he is, light years away from home, to discover beings who can speak and communicate with them, and even when he sees a landscape far too different from his own it still seems more like a dream than reality.

The astrophysicist remembers the city they were escorted to after being extracted from the gorge where they landed. The whole place is situated in the middle of rocky mountains, some of the buildings constructed to form one solid structure with the sierra while others are built from scratch. From where Yixing is, he can see a huge contrast in the houses that are near the palace and the ones that are situated quite far from it. The residences create crescents, each row of houses having different types of structure. Only the outermost crescent, the one farthest from the palace, has a variety of different settlements. The ones nearby seem like they are carved out of rocks and all of them are roofless, in contrast to the ones surrounding their circle; those buildings are far taller and more modern in appearance, with metal molded into the rocks. Some even resemble the high-rise condominium buildings back on Earth. The palace itself is an obviously older structure compared to the ones ringing the whole city but as far as Yixing can remember, both the outside and the inside of the royal abode have a mix of modern style to them as well. Some parts of the palace are strengthened and decorated by and with metals, to support it and give the place a twist that surprisingly molds well with the marble and limestone base. But even as Yixing is reminded of these differences from his home planet, he still cannot fathom that he is here, in a place that seems suitable for human life but is already inhabited by beings that strongly resemble them in more than just one feature.

“Can you believe this, Kyungsoo?” He looks to his left, the younger scientist more wide-eyed than usual, “Aliens?” The younger smiles and shakes his head, a silent _I can’t either_ passing between them as they watch the moon hanging above the city.

The comfortable silence is broken by the creaking of the door. Yixing and Kyungsoo snap their heads towards the entrance to find someone who looks a lot like Prince Teyrndlws, bowing and walking towards them. They stand up and bow as well, waiting for the other to reach them and open the conversation.

“Please, be at ease.” The new arrival’s eyes are silver and yellow, Yixing notes and unlike Prince Teyrndlws his pronunciation of the English words still need a bit of practice, “I came to meet my brother’s chosen companion.” His eyes instantly land on Yixing, humming as he inspects the scientist. “Brother really has a good taste,” he comments once his eyes have raked Yixing’s figure from head to toe, “I am not sure how introductions are done in your planet but my name is Prince Arian.” The tall being places his right hand over his heart and bows once again, the silver circlet on his head glinting with the light of the moon. Then Yixing realizes that the resemblance between the man standing before him and Prince Teyrndlws is because they are related. The scientist bows as well, doing it once more after forgetting to place his right hand over his heart, before he proceeds to introducing himself, followed by Kyungsoo.

“Are they your followers?” Prince Arian inquires, referring to Kyungsoo and the rest of Yixing’s crew. The scientist explains once more that they are on an expedition, what happened to them before they were attacked and what their plans are.

“I see.” The prince nods, placing his pointer finger on his chin in understanding, but before he can say anything else, they are interrupted again by someone else making their entry. A man as tall as the prince, ears larger than the others’, with skin a few shades darker than Prince Teyrndlws’s and Prince Arian’s, comes in and speaks to the prince in their mother tongue. Yixing isn’t sure if the man can speak their language and just chose not to use it in front of them or if he really isn’t capable of doing so.

“The King and the Queen would like to meet you, Yixing,” Prince Arian informs the scientist, “come with me to the throne room, Prince Teyrndlws will meet us there. You may come along too, Kyungsoo.” The younger scientist nods and walks behind the prince alongside Yixing.

“By the way,” the prince turns his head just as they are leaving the room, “this is Ohren,” he places a hand on the other being’s arm, his biceps sweating from earlier labor, “he is my personal _soldier_.”

Prince Arian smiles at them before turning his attention back to the front, conversing with the man named Ohren as they walk along hallways after hallways. The use of the word soldier instead of guard puts Yixing on alert, unsure if the prince deliberately chose to use it or simply made a mistake due to his loose grasp of the language. Either way, Yixing and Kyungsoo do not dare to speak, afraid of saying something that might change the prince’s good mood. They settle for marvelling at the simplistic grandiose of the palace, its long-winding staircases and the beautiful colors that run across its halls.

“Yixing,” the scientist hears his name being called again by the same deep voice he has come to be familiar with yet still manages to make his knees go weak. He looks up to see Prince Teyrndlws standing by the big double doors, his clothes changed for something that matches the fabrics wrapped around Yixing’s body. “Stand beside me,” he instructs the scientist, gesturing on the spot beside him and watching as the human walks towards him.

“You are going to meet my parents now.” Yixing already knew that but he still gulps and lets out a shuddering breath as he straightens up in his place. “You don’t need to be nervous,” the prince reassures him but he is going to meet the regents of an unknown planet, beings he will have to call his in-laws in the near future; surely nothing can be more nerve wracking than that.

Prince Teyrndlws, seeing Yixing’s unease, furrows his thick eyebrows and reaches for the back of the scientist’s neck, in order to comfort him with their way of showing support. The gesture makes Yixing stiffen, and he has to use every ounce of control in his body to suppress a moan as the prince’s hand massages the most sensitive part of his body, the featherlight touch of the royal’s long fingers creating goose flesh in their wake. Then the hand is gone from his neck, caressing down along his spine to settle on his lower back. Yixing gulps and if the doors being opened didn’t catch his attention, he would have fallen to the ground because his knees couldn’t take it anymore. He isn’t certain why, maybe it is only because of his fear of meeting the planet’s highest authorities but he knows deep inside, as he feels the heavy weight of the prince’s gaze, that it is far more than that.

In front of them, Prince Teyrndlws’s guards, Efydd and Kupfer, as the royal had introduced them to Yixing, the man with the violet hair and sharp nose from the day before being Efydd, gesture towards the open doors. A man from the inside seems to be announcing their arrival as the prince straightens up, then Yixing inhales deeply.

_“Tywysog Teyrndlws!”_

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Yixing expected a good amount of scolding, if not that, maybe just a hint of unwelcome. However, the regents of planet Tuhwntmae’rsêr seem to have nothing in particular to say about their landing, as if it is something that they have already anticipated. When the prince informs his parents of his marriage to Yixing, they seem pleased, or perhaps more like they are finally able to breathe. The scientist thought that they would be against his union with the heir to their throne, seeing as he is not of their kind. But the queen is all smiles as she takes Yixing’s hand and welcomes him to their planet, then to their family. The regents are obviously far older than most people on the planet, as is to be expected. They have the same long, silvery hair as Prince Teyrndlws and Prince Arian, the same pale skin and the same tall figure. However, they don’t have the same vigor as the younger royals anymore but their eyes still hold genuine emotions even as their words are clipped and out of breath.

After being formally introduced to the King and Queen, the prince himself shows Yixing around the palace; pointing out important places in the prince’s chambers and introducing him to people who he needs to know. Most of the people Yixing is introduced to are tutors who will guide him and teach him how to be a Llwyth. Things seem to be moving quite fast as the prince leaves him with his language instructor mere minutes after being acquainted with the man. Like the prince and the royals Yixing has come across in the palace, the man has long hair that seems to be greying, lacking the luster the prince’s and his brother’s have. They start with the basics, introducing the scientist to their alphabet and making him practice writing the letters. Being born a genius, Yixing is able to go through his first course easily, only pausing for snacks. The day ends with the scientist having dinner by himself, a laser pen in hand as he perfects the curves of the alphabet he has just learned.

 

Upon setting his eyes on the prince the next day, Yixing voices out to the royal that he wishes to see his crew. Prince Teyrndlws allows him, calling on Kupfer afterwards. He says something to the guard in their native tongue to which the man nods, stepping aside to give the prince and Yixing some privacy.

“Kupfer will assist you,” the tall male gestures towards the guard, his eyes hazel and emerald, “as I have matters to tend to.”

Yixing understands, being the prince of a whole planet must mean a lot of work for his future husband. So he bows and waves him goodbye, not wanting to delay the prince and keep him from his duties any further.

But before the scientist can turn around, Prince Teyrndlws pulls Yixing towards him by the back of his neck, the shock from the sudden movement overpowering his sensitivity. The royal then places his forehead against the other’s and utters words just above a whisper, as if they are something meant to be heard by Yixing’s ears only, _“Peidiwch a mynd yn bell.”_

Frozen in shock by the sudden gesture, the scientist’s brain goes haywire, not even bothering to ask what Prince Teyrndlws’ words mean. Yixing patiently waits until the prince releases him, hands clenching the sides of his clothes until the royal does so.

“Go,” the prince gestures towards the hallway behind Yixing and the scientist carefully turns around, testing out whether his gelid knees have already recovered from the royal’s actions. Fortunately he is able to move away from the prince without face planting to the marble floor, quickly following Kupfer to where his crew is.

 

“Yixing!” A chorus of voices rises from the spacious room, the whole crew welcoming the astrophysicist with open arms. “We were worried about you!” Kupfer closes the door and stays right beside it. Yixing quickly realizes that Prince Arian is also in the room, though if he hadn’t seen Ohren, he wouldn’t have known.

“Prince Arian.” Yixing bows to the royal who is sitting by the window.

“You can call me Sehun now,” the prince says with a boyish smile as he looks at Yixing’s crew. The scientist tilts his head to the side in confusion, “Ah, and Ohren is now named Chanyeol.” Yixing furrows his eyebrows as his crew nods excitedly and giggles behind their hands, Baekhyun and Jongdae laugh outright and give the scientist two thumbs up.

“What?” He breathes out in confusion.

“You have interesting names and your friends here,” Prince Arian, _Sehun,_ Yixing corrects himself, points to Jongdae and Baekhyun, “were kind enough to give us names in their native tongue.”

The prince stands up and ruffles Baekhyun’s and Jongdae’s hair. With his face he looks younger than the engineers and anyone in the room, but due to his height, it isn’t hard to concede his age.

“Ah.” The prince seems to notice the royal guard standing by the door and he taps Kyungsoo’s shoulder, “You should give Kupfer a name as well.” The young scientist points to himself before looking at said guard, who only straightens up by the sound of his name. Baekhyun and Jongdae urge the younger and, even if a little hesitant, Kyungsoo seems to think about it.

“Jongin.” He says finally, looking a bit toward the guard, his skin tanned and glowing under the yellow lights.

“It’s final then,” Sehun says with unabashed enthusiasm, “to make it easier for everyone, from now on you can call me Sehun, call Ohren Chanyeol and Kupfer is now Jongin.”

The prince converses to the guards, the humans only picking up the names they have given the otherworldly beings from the royal’s quick sentences. The two guards don’t seem to complain and bow to Sehun in affirmation.

“Great!” The prince claps his hands together and smiles towards the collection of humans before him. “Ah, maybe I should leave to give you all time to talk.”

The humans don’t protest as they do need some privacy to converse and wait for the prince to leave with the guards. Jongin also leaves the room but informs Yixing through Sehun that he will be waiting for him outside as Prince Teyrndlws instructed for him to keep close guard of the scientist.

Once the doors are closed and only Yixing’s crew is present in the room, he breathes and moves to sit on the chair placed near the window, “Do you know where Minseok is?”

“They have him in a room somewhere in the palace,” Baekhyun answers, “Maybe you should ask Jongin to take you there.”

“He might not understand Yixing though.” Baekhyun clicks his tongue when Kyungsoo reminds him of their language barrier with the other beings.

Chewing his lip after this realization, Yixing sighs and asks next, “How about our equipment?”

“Sehun said they’ll be extracting our stuff and move them here for us to use,” Jongdae answers this time, using the name he has given the prince instead of the royal’s real name, “but when we were hauling them from our now busted Chariot, we realized that some of our things are missing.” This information makes Yixing’s forehead crease, worry etched in every line as each equipment is vital to their expedition. His brain starts working, trying to figure out how it is possible for their things to get lost in transit.

Kyungsoo seems to hear the gears in Yixing’s brain working and starts explaining, “We might have lost them in the middle of the portal. We all, including the equipment we brought with us, are still single entities. Therefore, it is possible for each thing, animate or inanimate, to disappear in transit. We knew beforehand that such a thing may happen,” the younger scientist reminds him. “Isn’t that why we sent one rover with no other attachments to it, everything compact in that small body?” Kyungsoo asks to support his theory. Yixing nods and rests the case because yes, they have signed up to the mission with that knowledge clear to everyone who joined the expedition. “We should just be thankful that we arrived here altogether and no one of us got lost in the middle of the wormhole as we passed through the portal.” The senior scientist hums and nods, quickly moving to another topic.

“How about our communication devices?” He looks at Jongdae and Baekhyun who scratch the back of their heads.

“We built the truck so that our main communication device is connected to it,” Baekhyun starts, “you know, so we have less equipment to bring.” Yixing nods, knowing this fact already as he was there every step of the way as they were planning for the expedition.

“Well, you already know that our truck is not in a good shape.” Jongdae picks up where Baekhyun left off. “We weren’t able to check if it still works because we were busy moving whatever we can out of the vehicle.”

“Did you ask them to bring the truck back here as well?” To this question, Baekhyun and Jongdae nod, a glimmer of hope shimmering in their always cheerful eyes.

“Okay, good.” Then there is silence.

“Yixing,” Baekhyun quickly breaks it, edging from the bed he sitsw on, “about you marrying the prince,” the engineer gulps, “a-are you sure?” It’s rare for the scientist to hear Baekhyun stutter and look very concerned. It’s even rarer for Yixing to see such an emotion conveyed _for him._ He looks down, fascinated by the patterns on the floor and by his feet that are covered in the most comfortable shoes he’s ever put on in his life.

“You heard what Prince _Terndoos_ said,” he twists his tongue around the foreign sounds, knowing how he pronounced it is still wrong. Thankfully the royal is not around to hear the scientist butcher his name.

His mind reels back to what happened either hours or days ago, he can’t be sure. The prince’s words are still ringing in his ears.

_‘Your hand in marriage for the release of your friends.’_

“We can still get away from here,” Jongdae says hopefully. Yixing gives him a small smile, defeat already painted on the scientist’s face.

“Do you know where the other end of the portal is?” The three gulp and shake their heads, just as the scientist expected. Yixing doesn’t remember seeing any sign of the silvery portal’s match that will lead them back to the other side of the universe. He would have thought that it would be near where they landed but he didn’t find anything during their time in the emptied gorge.

“As long as we don’t know the location of the portal, if it is even still working, that is,” Yixing’s words feel heavy on his tongue but he has to push them out, reality is harsh but they can’t live just hoping for vague possibilities to happen, “then we have no way out of this planet.”

When the room falls silent once more, Yixing tries to reassure his crew, something he has never done before, “I have nothing to lose anyway.” He smiles at them, his dimple, a rare sight, open for the younger three members of the crew to see, “I’d rather get married to a royal of an unknown planet than have all of us die here.”

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Still feeling boneless from their journey through the portal and the lessons, Yixing pushes back his plans of seeing Minseok’s condition with his own eyes until he has found some rest.

When he wakes, it is still dark outside, close to how the surroundings were when he retreated to his room the night before. He reckons that it might be because it is still early morning and that the new bed doesn’t allow him enough sleep with it’s unfamiliarity. He quickly washes and changes to a new set of clothes, their make being the same as the robes given to him the day before but this one is of sapphire color, the hem lined with gold. It reminds him of the prince’s eyes and how their intensity is enough to make Yixing fall down to his knees. He shakes the thought off and focuses on his plans for the day, stepping into the clothes before marching out to find Jongin already waiting for him outside. The guard bows to him and he tries to communicate where he wants to go. The guard seems to understand as he bows and walks to a hallway Yixing hasn’t been to before.

 

The wounded astronaut seems to be in good hands, the planet’s royal healer, Hirsch, as he introduced himself to Yixing, tending to him dutifully and making certain his needs are well met as it will take quite some time for him to fully recover and do things on his own again. Sehun, who seems to be all over the palace, enters just when Minseok falls asleep. He pulls the healer and Yixing to a separate room where they can have a chat and still look over the astronaut without waking him.

“Hirsch, did you know?” Sehun asks enthusiastically, taking a seat even before the healer and Yixing can close the door, “I have a new name,” he smiles brightly, “the humans call me Sehun.”

Hirsch pats his head, smiling a little bit at his childish good mood, “You seem to like it.” The prince smiles even wider, showing his approval before turning to Yixing.

“Yixing, you should give Hirsch a name too.” The prince encourages the scientist, nodding towards Hirsch’s direction who places an assortment of snacks on the table for his visitors.

“If it’s okay with him,” Yixing smiles a little nervously, not knowing what kind of temperament the healer has. Fortunately, he is easygoing and smiles at the scientist, gesturing for him to continue. “Well, your eyes are as beautiful as a deer’s,” to this the royal healer tilts his head, as he knows that those are animals from a different planet, from Earth, “Please don’t be offended.” Yixing lifts his hands in hopes of helping his case, being compared to an animal isn’t really something one would fully appreciate if not explained thoroughly. But once again, Hirsch just urges him to continue and he seems not to be bothered much by it. “I think they’re very beautiful creatures and in our planet to have our eyes be compared to theirs is a huge compliment. Thus I think the name Lu Han fits you perfectly, as Han can be written with the character for deer in my language,” Yixing smiles, hoping that his chosen name is to the healer’s liking.

“Hmmm,” the healer closes his eyes, “Lu Han,” he repeats Yixing’s words before opening his eyes again, “I like it.”

To this affirmation, Yixing beams at him and breathes out, “I’m glad.” He picks up some of the snacks after Lu Han tells him good-naturedly that rejecting food from someone is considered a rude gesture on their planet.

“I have a question to ask,” Yixing breaks the comfortable silence in the room. Sehun has already moved out of his chair and has since been scouring Lu Han’s office for something new that he can play with as the other is not only a healer but also an inventor. However, upon hearing Yixing’s words, the prince settles back down to his chair, eyes trained towards Yixing, “It’s been bugging me and I know only you of royal blood can answer it since it seems like only you are capable of it.”

Lu Han and Sehun nod at the same time before the scientist finally asks, “How come you know how to speak our language?” The prince seems to allow Lu Han the chance to answer the question, gesturing a hand towards the healer before moving the same hand towards Yixing’s direction.

“Years ago, my father was inventing a new technology,” Lu Han starts, hands clasping around what seems to be a mug, eyes cast far from where they currently are, “it was meant to enable us to communicate with the other side of the planet without having to send messengers who have to travel hours and maybe even days, depending on their means of transportation.” Yixing understands the direction of where the healer’s story is going, but he still listens intently. “After finishing the first model though,” Lu Han points towards something huge placed at the center of the room beside his office. Although the thing is covered by a black cloth, Yixing can deduce that it’s the first model the other is talking about, “when he tried to connect it with the one on the other side of our planet, he intercepted radio waves from another planet. Back then he already had learned the possible languages from our neighboring planets and it didn’t sound like any of the ones he already knew. He consulted with the counsel of other planets and found out about the existence of yours.”

“Why did you study our language?” Yixing’s question made Lu Han smile. The scientist filing the fact that there are others like the Llwyth people in other planets, more otherworldly beings, for later processing.

“My father and the King would always tell us that it was just out of curiosity but we knew about your plans of exploring the universe, your people sent messages to us and inhabitants of other planets, this I am sure you are aware of.” The scientist nods, knowing exactly what Lu Han is talking about, remembering NASA’s efforts of sending messages of peace projected towards other planets. “We wanted to be able to communicate with you once you arrive here.”

“How come you didn’t contact us first?” Lu Han chuckles at Yixing’s query, light and amused.

“To put it bluntly, we didn’t want you here.” Sehun looks away, clearly annoyed by the healer’s answer but knowing at the same time that it is the truth. “We wanted to, in the beginning. We are friends with inhabitants of our neighboring planets so why not Earth as well. But,” Lu Han looks meaningfully at his drink, pulling it close to him, “your people, they have destroyed and are slowly destroying your planet. Is it not the reason why you’ve been so intent on finding a place where you can settle next?” Yixing gulps. It is true, their planet seems to have a disease and the humans seem to be the parasites that brought the illness upon it. “Our planet is not at all perfect, it only is habitable because we make it to be. We are afraid of what your kind will do if they find out that there are places they can invade and take over.”

“That’s not–” Yixing wants to say that that isn’t their plan but he knows the kind of greed humans have and what Lu Han is saying is not far-fetched at all.

“I know you only mean good for your people.” Lu Han smiles at him, melancholic but still beautiful, the brown mixed in his rosy pink and silvery grey eyes making him look more human than alien. “But, I would suggest that if you can, teach the inhabitants of your planet how to treat it and not to just find an escape from it.” The healer’s words, although a bit harsh, mean well and Yixing nods, eyes looking towards the window where the moon is still hanging above their heads.

Yixing and Sehun eventually say their goodbyes to Lu Han, the scientist promising to visit Minseok again after he’s had his rest.

“You seem to be all over the place, Sehun,” Yixing comments when the prince informs him he will have to part ways with the scientist soon as he is needed somewhere else. The prince chuckles and Yixing is quite tempted to ask just how old he is.

“All over the palace, yes. All over the place is my brother.” Sehun informs him. Now that the prince has said it, Yixing realizes that he’s never once bumped into the heir despite having walked around the hallways of the palace quite a lot to get to one place from another. “If you’re looking for him, he might be in Sonnenstadt at the moment.”

“He’s in So–He’s where?” Sehun laughs at the human’s confusion and difficulties in pronouncing the name, barely able to keep the boisterous noise to himself when he sees the way Yixing’s eyebrows furrow.

“Ah, my brother or your tutors should be the one teaching you these things.” Sehun makes a face then shrugs, “But I guess it can’t be helped.”

“Let’s start with your Tuhwntmae’rsêr lessons, walk with me.” Sehun seems to not get tired, if he really has been going around the palace this whole time and still has the energy to teach Yixing, “Sonnenstadt is the name of the city we have built on the other side of the planet, it faces the sun.” The scientist nods in understanding, “Mondstadt is where we are now, this part is facing the moon,” the prince points to the window where the moon can be seen as if to prove a point. “The palace itself is named Dinas Hynafol, just in case you hear it somewhere and wonder what it means.” Sehun looks at Yixing then and winks before turning at a corner and opening a door that leads them to the kitchen, the different appetizing aromas mixing in the air makes the scientist hungry.

Then Yixing suddenly realizes the meaning behind the prince’s words, “Wait, you described them as places facing the sun and the moon.” Sehun nods, taking what seems to be a spoon before dipping it into a bowl, scrunching his nose before giving further instructions to the woman on the other side of the table.

“Our planet, Tuhwntmae’rsêr, has two sides,” Sehun takes a plate from a server and offers some of its contents to Yixing, who has no choice but to try whatever it is, be it good for his body or not, “one that faces the moon and one that faces the sun. As we’ve grown up on and have studied our planet, we have discovered that our planet,” the prince stops at a table where things that look like vegetables to Yixing are scattered. Sehun takes three different-coloured round objects, placing them in a line on the table. “Our planet,” he repeats, taking the purple object then putting it down again, “orbits around the sun,” Sehun points to the orange object that he placed on the left side of the what he said was their planet, “alongside the moon.” The prince holds both the purple vegetable and one that looks similar to a potato before making them circle around the object representing the sun. “I believe your planet doesn’t work the same way.” Yixing shakes his head, barely hiding his astonishment. That explains why it is constantly night time where they are.

After Sehun makes his final inspections, they leave the kitchen, the aromatic scent of the food lingering on the scientist’s clothes. He sees Chanyeol say a few words to Sehun before the prince redirects his attention to him.

“If you are not tired yet and have no lessons, you can come with me.” The prince smiles, walking further and further towards a giant door that Yixing remembers from the day before to be the entrance of the palace, “Let’s pay my brother a visit.”

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

The ride to Sonnenstadt is quiet for Yixing as Sehun is in constant communication with Chanyeol in their native tongue, flipping through charts using a tablet that the prince later folds to the size of a square inch before tucking it into the pocket of his clothes. Yixing can see the sun even before they cross the border that separates the two cities. Compared to the Earth’s distance to the sun, Tuhwntmae’rsêr is far closer to its sun. The scientist wonders how it is possible for these beings to endure such long hours under the sun. With it being this close, Yixing can figure out just how scalding hot it must be once he steps foot into Sonnenstadt. He can see sparse clouds above the dry land, doing nothing to shield the inhabitants of the planet from the scorching rays. If not for the protective glass that wraps around their vehicle, Yixing’s skin would have been toasted by the sun already.

Sehun informs him that they are close to the city and when he redirects his attention to where the prince is pointing at, he understands how they function under such heat.

Sonnenstadt is completely different compared to Mondstadt. It seems like the whole city is covered by large domes, some transparent, some white, some half and half, and varying in sizes, confining compared to the open roofs of the palace. They are obviously built around the city to protect its people from the harsh sun. They stop at the center of the city where a tower stands. Yixing remembers seeing an identical one in Mondstadt, and he is surprised to find people strolling around. He quickly removes his seat belt and stands up when he finds the prince already making his way out the door of the vehicle. As soon as part of his body is out of their transportation, Yixing feels the same breeze he felt the night before when they landed in the gorge. He would have expected something more burning rather than soothing but he isn’t one to complain, he can study these matters later on. Quickly, he falls in step with the prince, following him wherever he may be going, hopefully towards Prince Teyrndlws.

Then Sehun stops, making Yixing bump his head against the prince’s back.

“S-sorry,” the scientist apologizes, rubbing his forehead as he, for the first time, looks around the building they have entered. The first thing he sees is glass, everywhere. When he looks up, he sees the sun and the sparse clouds, not a white block of cement. He drops his gaze and he realizes that they’re in a library, or what seems to be one, shelves of tomes line the borders of the dome and the center, the circular area lowered by a story and surrounded by the floor where they currently are.

The second prince points a finger to a certain portion of the library and there Yixing finds Prince Teyrndlws sitting on a chair with children flocking him. There is a smile on the prince’s face, an expression that the scientist has never seen before from the stern-looking prince but it easily pulls a dimpled mirroring smile from Yixing as a certain warmth starts spreading across his chest. His smile grows wider still when he sees his future husband talking to one of the children, his large hands almost covering the kid’s face as he comforts the child.

Prince Teyrndlws looks up and finds his brother with Yixing. The scientist bows when he notices the prince looking his way. Sehun then pulls the other to a walkway that will take them to the prince.

“It seems your future husband is very curious about our planet and your whereabouts,” Sehun opens when they are close to where his brother is already standing up, a child in his hold, “so I brought him to you.”

A blush spreads across Yixing’s cheeks. He doesn’t know what he is allowed to say and even if Sehun seems to be very easy going, he isn’t quite sure about Prince Teyrndlws just yet.

“I’m sorry for leaving you in the palace.” The heir apologizes, putting down the child as the others seem to gather around Yixing, fascinated by the human.

“It’s alright.”

Sehun decides to break the awkward tension between the two by informing Prince Teyrndlws of the new name the Korean crew gave him the previous day, his laugh ringing in the library as he tells his older brother that he might want a change of name to be able to keep it. Yixing decides to let the children grab him by the hand and take him wherever they please, so he can escape the gaze that’s been following him ever since the prince spotted him.

After having nothing more to say to his brother, Sehun bids him farewell to carry on with his duties in the city. The prince allows the children to play with Yixing, looking at them fondly as they talk to the human who doesn’t understand a single word they are saying.

“They said that you are beautiful even though you are quite a bit shorter than an average Llwyth.” The prince interrupts the giggling children as he walks to the small garden placed in the middle of the library where the children are free to play. Yixing instantly blushes at the words, wondering if the children really said that or if it is the prince’s way of charming him, forgetting the second part of the sentence to indulge himself in the first part. He sees the royal smile again as the prince pats a child, who presents a kind of flower to Yixing, on the head. “That flower is only given to someone worthy of it.” The scientist looks down and finds a flower that deeply resembles a stargazer. It is mostly white, except for the tips, which are faintly pink, and the middle of each petal is lined in pink, connecting the five petals in the middle where the rosy colour is far richer. The stem is of the same shade of pink as the middle of the flower, becoming a shade deeper as it reaches the end. Yixing is half expecting the colour to bleed into his hands, but it doesn’t.

“It’s beautiful,” he finally breathes out, fingers tracing the silky surface of a petal. He’s never been one for flowers despite having potted plants that he cares for in his apartment, their smell not as pungent as flowers, relaxing his senses and giving his eyes some good rest after looking at a computer screen half of the day.

“Exactly.” He hears the prince’s reply. The response only makes his cheeks color even deeper than the stem of the flower in his hand.

“It’s named _Serenliebe_.” The prince reaches out and traces the back of the petal, eyes following the movement of his finger before looking at Yixing once he’s reached the pinkish tip. The scientist is still reeling from the prince’s earlier off-handed compliment to respond to this information so he just hums and looks at the flower once more, avoiding the royal’s gaze.

“Would you like to come with me?” The prince offers his hand to Yixing. The children around them have long since dispersed to find something far more interesting than the prince’s future companion, “I still have one last thing to do before I can go back to the palace.” The scientist takes the offered hand, as he feels that rejecting things here, no matter how courteously you do so, would be seen as a lack of etiquette.

“I am sorry for not being present to answer your questions,” the prince tells Yixing as they walk hand-in-hand along a hallway that connects the library to a different dome, “but it seems my brother has been of help to you.” If Yixing is being honest, he would say that he heard a hint of jealousy in the prince’s voice but the fact that they have only known each other for barely a day makes him think that the royal is merely stating a fact, most likely. “However, if there is anything that you are curious about in the future,” the prince pulls one wing of the door open, Efydd quickly grabbing the other when he notices the prince’s arrival, “I would appreciate it if you came to me and not to anybody else.” The tone of claim in the prince’s words makes Yixing shudder, a reminder that he is betrothed to this man and will one day be married to him.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

It has been a few days, maybe even a week, into Yixing’s and his crew’s stay on Tuhwntmae’rsêr. After his visit to Sonnenstadt where he saw a different side to the prince, their relationship has been more open. The royal would always ask Yixing if there is something he wants to know about their planet or the prince himself. At first the scientist was hesitant, afraid that the being would laugh at his apparent ignorance. However, as time went by, he has come to realize that the prince likes his curiosity and feeds it, answering every question the scientist has and tickling his brain even further to make the gears work and ask him some more.

Every day when the prince rises, the first thing he does is to see if Yixing is already awake. The prince gave him something similar to an alarm clock, showing him that their days and nights are shorter; something that the ancestors of the Llwyth have decided upon long ago because they lack the natural rise and set of the sun and moon to dictate the length of day and night. They have no dates though, just time.

Unlike before, the prince now always makes sure that he brings Yixing to his lessons before leaving for Sonnenstadt. Upon reaching home, the prince’s first port of call is always Yixing’s study, a place adjacent to the heir’s office that the prince had asked to be renovated for the scientist. If he doesn’t find Yixing there, he goes to the human’s room, finding him either alone, lost in his readings or with his friends gathered around him, listening to their plans and what they might need to be able to return home. The humans always disperse though and leave whenever the prince arrives, meaning the royal has Yixing all to himself as they have supper before parting once more to rest.

The prince is kind enough to allow Yixing and his crew to roam around the planet to find the portal that they passed through. They are also given the freedom to use whatever equipment they need to do their studies and repair their vehicle. According to Jongdae and Baekhyun it will take at least three weeks in human time to fix it if, and only if, they find the right materials.

The scientist, in the times that he isn’t occupied with helping out his crew, has since been diligently studying in his lessons for him to grow accustomed to the traditions of the Llwyth. He still has troubles with the language, so his tutor decided for them to focus on the customs and traditions of the Llwyth first, learning the words along the way. The prince has taken responsibility in teaching Yixing the use of their weapons, not allowing anyone to touch the scientist and possibly harm him. Those lessons, whether Yixing would like to admit it or not, are his favourite. The prince touches him more openly and in turn, he has an excuse to put his hands around the royal’s lean arms and, if he is brave enough, he even grazes his fingertips on the prince’s clothed toned chest and arms.

Whenever it is possible, Prince Teyrndlws brings Yixing along with him to his visits to Sonnenstadt. There the scientist sees how the royal treats the people under his reign, how he would lower himself and give what is his as an answer to his people’s needs. He sees how the heir interacts with the people, not putting himself high on a pedestal but instead talking to them as if they are equals. The genuine smile on the prince’s face whenever he is surrounded by the Llwyth always makes Yixing’s stomach flip and his heart skip a beat. And slowly the scientist realizes that being with the prince isn’t such a bad idea after all.

 

Just like that, the royal has gotten around to being nonchalant whenever he’s with the scientist; even foregoing his heavy responsibilities whenever Yixing asks to be accompanied to the garden in the royal’s chambers, where the Serenliebes seem to glow under the light of the moon. The royal still finds it hard to show affection though, as it has only been close to a week since Yixing and his crew crash-landed and even with years of studying humans and their language, he still doesn’t know how to get his point across without being helplessly blunt. So he tries his best to say and do things in moderation, gauging the scientist’s reaction to decide whether he can do more or should do less. The prince still has to perfect it but he’s getting there.

 

Yixing knocks on the door of the prince’s study, located just below the scientist’s room as he is staying in the heir’s chambers. Once he hears the royal give him permission to enter, he pokes his head in and greets him, “Prince _Ternthdoos_.”

“It’s Teyrndlws, Yixing.” The scientist flushes as apologies for his mistake cascade down his mouth. The royal waves his hand to extinguish the fear in the human’s eyes, “It’s alright.”

Without the human saying a thing about why he is in the prince’s study, Prince Teyrndlws stands up, dons his cape and walks towards Yixing.

“The garden?” He asks, putting his arm out for Yixing to take. The scientist nods and happily takes the offered arm.

The walk to the garden is quiet, as it usually is. Normally, Efydd, who Yixing has given the name Zitao, and Jongin would be following the prince and the scientist around wherever they go but they have long since understood that once the two step into the garden, they are not to be followed anymore. That night is the same and they fall into their routine once more. Zitao and Jongin stand guard by the entrance while Prince Teyrndlws and Yixing roam around the garden.

Yixing almost says the prince’s name wrong once more but is able to catch himself before doing so. Instead of calling out to the royal, he bravely asks, “Would it be alright if I called you by a different name?” The prince switches his gaze from the moon to Yixing, his eyes questioning but no words of protest come out of his mouth so the scientist continues, “Your name is quite hard for me to pronounce, I’m afraid.” He suddenly looks down, afraid that he might have said something wrong since the prince isn’t saying anything. “I just don’t want to keep making the same mistake and if anything it should be your name that I know best.”

The prince considers this for a second, thankful that Yixing is able to be honest with him. The human, as the royal has observed, seems to be quiet if not engaged in a conversation. So for him to open the topic and share his worry that he might be offending the prince every time he makes a mistake with his name, draws a smile on the royal’s usually stoic face, “What name would you give me then?”

Yixing seems to perk up from where he is seated, eyes instantly meeting the prince’s at the sign of permission. He smiles then worries his bottom lip before saying one word.

“Yifan.”

The heir tilts his head to the side, his long silvery hair almost touching the ground, “Does that mean anything in particular?”

This question seems to make Yixing more enthusiastic, his eyes landing on the nearest Serenliebe before them, “In my native language it means _capable of being a man or to be a man_. It’s more poetic and the deeper meaning is that you are someone of high status but you are willing to humble yourself.” The scientist lifts his eyes up to meet the prince’s, “I think the name fits you perfectly.”

The prince appreciates it, smiling at the fact that the scientist thought well of the name he is giving the royal and that it isn’t something he chose for convenience’s sake.

“Yifan,” the prince tries the name and tests the way it rolls from his tongue, satisfied to know that it is far easier to say than his original name.

Beside him, Yixing’s dimple digs deep into the scientist’s cheek as he mirrors the prince’s expression, catching the royal’s breath as one word is affectionately uttered by his lips, “Yifan.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ word/phrase/sentence (language): meaning]
> 
> Yifan - Teyrndlws (Welsh): Royal Jewel
> 
> Lu Han - Hirsch (German): Deer
> 
> Sehun - Arian (W): Silver
> 
> Zitao - Efydd (W): Bronze
> 
> Jongin - Kupfer (G): Copper
> 
> Chanyeol - Ohren (G): Ear
> 
>  
> 
> Byd Newydd (W): New World
> 
> 만나서 반갑습니다 변백현씨 [read as Mannaseo Bangapseubnida Byun Baekhyun-ssi] (Korean): Nice to meet you, Mr. Byun Baekhyun.
> 
> Eindringling (G): Intruder
> 
> Kudzipereka (Nyanja): Surrender
> 
> Symud o fy ffordd (W): Move from my way
> 
> Tywysog (W): Prince
> 
> Tuhwntmae’rsêr [originally ‘tu hwnt mae’r sêr’] (W): Beyond the stars
> 
> Llwyth (W): Tribe
> 
> Peidiwch a mynd yn bell (W): Don’t go far
> 
> Sonnenstadt (G): Sun City
> 
> Mondstadt (G): Moon City
> 
> Dinas Hynafol (W): Ancient City
> 
> Serenliebe - It’s a word that I made up by combining Seren (Welsh for ‘Star’) and Liebe (German for ‘Love’): Star Love


	3. Regen

“What’s the progress?” Yixing asks once Baekhyun, Jongdae and Kyungsoo walk into his room, Minseok held between the two engineers while Lu Han stands behind him. The healer seems to be keeping a close eye on the astronaut even when there are three other people who have promised to be careful in handling him. Deep down Yixing thinks it’s because Lu Han doesn’t trust the engineers to not break anything. Yixing can’t blame the healer, the menacing glint in their smiles and the knowing look in their eyes are not exactly good qualifications for one to put the faith of someone’s well-being into their hands.

Before answering the scientist, the engineers let Minseok settle on a chair while Yixing sits on the edge of his bed, rising after a well-deserved nap as he has been attending his lessons since the crack of dawn.

“Yesterday, we went to check south of where we landed,” Jongdae finally answers, taking a seat by the window, unaffected by the deep plunge right below him, “we even went inside the caves but we still didn’t find the portal.”

“And the Chariot?” The scientist asks worriedly, hoping against hope that the repairs are going well. Even if they find the portal, without a vehicle to contain them there is a huge possibility that one or more of them will get lost in the wormhole just like their other equipment did.

By the way Baekhyun sighs and looks downhearted, Yixing can already sense that there is a problem, “We thought it would be an easy fix but when we checked more thoroughly, we discovered that most of the stuff is too burnt to be reused. Also some of the scraped metals are gone.”

The scientist worries his bottom lip, the gears of his brain working overtime to find a solution, then he suggests, “Can you use the 3D printer we brought with us?”

“We lost that one to the wormhole,” Jongdae informs him, the engineer’s face falling with his own words, Yixing mimicking the expression as he hears about the loss of an important piece of equipment, “Even if we had it, we would still need the materials. I’m afraid we can’t just recycle the ones that we have and half of our spares got lost too.”

The room falls silent, Yixing unable to give any more support, since it is not his forté, and even if they were to come up with great plans they would still be helpless without the materials they need to revive their vehicle.

Lu Han clears his throat then, drawing everyone’s attention to himself. He smiles at them, eyes glimmering, “You might have forgotten that you are very welcome to use whatever resources we have that might help you.”

Baekhyun and Jongdae look at each other, then to the royal healer, remembering that he is the inventor, the genius of the planet, eyes hopeful but still with a bit of concern.

“We’re just a bit worried that some of the raw materials we need might not be available here.” Baekhyun is the one who voices out their worry, Jongdae nodding along beside him.

“And we were afraid of asking for such help, Your Grace,” Kyungsoo adds, “You have already been kind enough to offer us shelter and food.” Lu Han chuckles at the young scientist’s words, a hand belatedly covering his thin lips.

“Our heir is taking your beloved Yixing to stay here forever,” the healer looks at the scientist, a fond smile on his lips after reminding them of Yixing’s fate, “I think that gives you the right to access everything you need. No need to be shy.”

The engineers look at the senior scientist with a little bit of concern in their eyes but the elder just smiles at them.

“Lu Han is right,” Yixing finally speaks, “you should use everything that is available and make do with it,” he urges them to follow the healer’s advice to seek as much help as they can and make use of all the resources that are available for them.

“A minute we spend here can be a day on Earth, or a week even,” Yixing reminds them, looking at Jongdae’s watch which indicates that they have been gone from their home planet for three weeks now, “we can’t waste any more time.” The scientist looks away, casting his gaze towards Mondstadt. The glimmering lights of the city that used to be completely dark in the olden times, play in his chocolate brown orbs. “Your families are waiting for you.” All of their eyes fall to Yixing, Minseok’s head snapping up from where he’s been curling a loose thread on his clothing around his finger.

The conversation ends there, the crew having nothing to say in response to the heavy words the scientist uttered. Yixing’s tutor comes in just in time to disperse the sudden tension, interrupting them so he can continue with the scientist’s lessons.

“We’ll tell you when something comes up,” Baekhyun places a hand on Yixing’s shoulder, looking like he still has more to say but in the end he just squeezes the elder’s shoulder before following after the others who have gone ahead already.

The rest of the crew don’t speak a word even as they reach their room, letting Minseok settle into the bed they have prepared for him. The silence is quite unsettling as Jongdae and Baekhyun are mum, which is unusual for the duo who always have too much to say even for the tiniest of matters.

“My office is open for you to come in and use whatever you need for your repairs,” Lu Han tells them as he helps Minseok get settled on the bed, fluffing the pillow before instructing the astronaut to lie down. “Don’t move around too much just yet because you are still healing,” the healer tells the injured man, lifting the blanket to get a last look at his injury before leaving.

“Don’t worry, I’m no Baekhyun,” Minseok assures him, the engineer protesting from where he is also preparing his bed when he hears the astronaut’s words. “I’ll be fine, Lu Han. Despite what these kids look like.” Minseok looks at Jongdae and Baekhyun who are distracted once more by something inside the room, “You can trust them.” The healer looks reluctant when he nods before pulling the blanket back to cover Minseok completely.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Lu Han says, addressing both Minseok and the rest of the crew, indicating once more the openness of his office and the availability of the planet’s resources for them. The healer disappears to retreat into his own room after.

The room falls silent again, the rest of the crew thinking of the astrophysicist and his fate again. With the way Yixing delivered his words, it seems that the scientist has accepted his destiny of staying on this foreign planet instead of of coming back to Earth, where he knows there is nothing waiting for him but his plants and his belongings. But that doesn’t stop the crew from planning where they should start working on the next day, hoping that they can find the portal soon and return home, together with Yixing.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Something glows from Jongin’s breast pocket, Yixing notes as he comes out of the cave he and Kyungsoo decided to check. The scientist knows it is the guard’s communication device and he also knows that if it is glowing red it means that it is a call from Yifan. Usually the prince calls to ask either where they currently are or how Yixing is doing, as the scientist doesn’t have his own device for the prince to call him directly yet. Jongin picks it up and the human barely understands what they talk about with his meager knowledge of the language. But soon after, he gets an idea which of the two usual reasons the call is for.

Yifan’s vehicle, which Yixing learned from his lessons is actually called _cerbyd,_ arrives just minutes after Jongin returned the device into his pocket. The prince comes out clad in his regal blue tunic with his usual grey cloak hanging from his shoulders. He greets the scientist and his crew, asking them how they are doing and how far along they are with their repairs. After exchanging pleasantries with the humans, the royal turns his attention to Yixing again.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll borrow Yixing for a while?” Yifan asks as he looks at the scientist, Yixing’s face glistening with sweat and the fabric of his clothing clinging to his body from hours of walking and searching for the portal and possibly their lost equipment. Asking for permission to be with Yixing seems a bit superfluous, seeing as he is the prince and whatever he says cannot be overridden. But Kyungsoo, Jongdae and Baekhyun still answer, telling the prince that they will manage to look for the portal on their own, adding that they were planning to return to the palace soon anyway to carry on with the repairs of the Chariot. With this, Yifan offers his arm to Yixing just as he always does before they bid the crew goodbye.

Yixing feels the air current as it slides beneath the vehicle, the mechanism in the cerbyd using the air surrounding it to make it fly and move in different directions. The scientist can compare its outer appearance to a fighter jet, only that it is more spacious, and its inside is more alike with that of a helicopter’s.

As they rise above the barren surface, the wind disturbing and scattering the dust on the ground, Yixing’s eyes linger on his crew, the three men wasting no time by watching the flying vehicle leave. He feels the prince’s eyes on him, unnervingly, so he slowly turns his face forward, avoiding the royal’s gaze.

“Should I not have fetched you to come with me?” Yifan’s voice echoes in the enclosed space, not sounding mad but rather concerned. Yixing’s head immediately whips towards the royal’s direction, seeing a glint of sadness in his eyes. He fears that if he gives an affirmative answer, he will hurt the prince and put the royal’s efforts to meet him to waste. With this in mind, he shakes his head frantically and emphatically.

“No, that’s not it.” He looks back once more to where they came from but in the minutes that passed they have already moved too far for Yixing to be able to see even just the outline of his crew’s bodies, “I’m just worried about them.” The scientist still doesn’t meet Yifan’s eyes, only hearing the prince hum in response to his answer.

Ever since the prince first saw Yixing’s dimple the night he accepted his new name from the scientist, he wants nothing more than to monopolize Yixing’s attention and be able to see that smile once again, knowing that he is the reason behind it. But right now he doesn’t even see a hint of it on the scientist’s face. He can only hope that Yixing will end up liking the place he’s going to bring him to and that he’ll be rewarded with a dimpled smile.

 

A beautiful blue with a crescent formed by a thin line of sandy yellow catches Yixing’s eye. Dots of green are scattered across the edge of the sand, a forest stretching behind it before the landscape on its sides changes to that of rocky hills and plateaus that the scientist has already grown accustomed to. Sparse amounts of sunlight shine over the body of water as it nears the border of Sonnenstadt and Mondstadt. Yixing looks over to Yifan, the prince already having watched his reaction long before the scientist even noticed the vast space occupied by water.

 _“Tuch aus Diamanten,”_ Yifan informs him, his eyes flitting to the sea below them for a second, aligning with Yixing’s gaze once more in the next second, “I thought I’d show you a different side of our planet.” The scientist smiles to the prince before returning his gaze to the pristine sheet of blue below them. His smile isn’t as wide as what Yifan hoped to gain but he’s content to see the slight indentation on the scientist’s cheek as he watches the waves ripple across the large mass of water.

“Every fifteen days, we create rain,” Yifan informs Yixing as he assists the scientist down their vehicle and onto the shore.

“Create rain?” The prince smiles as he sees the confusion on Yixing’s face, making his face look comical yet adorable. The scientist has heard of cloud seeding before but there are barely any clouds in Tuhwntmae’rsêr for such a thing to be done.

“Yes,” Yifan offers his arm to the scientist so they can walk further together, away from the shoreline, “our ancestors didn’t experience a lot of rain in the past. Their only source of water back then were wells, small rivers and lakes near Mondstadt.” They reach the edge of the beach where the forest starts, various kinds of trees that Yixing has never come across on Earth looming over him and the giant prince. The scientist reaches out to have a feel of the leaves curtaining the depths of the forest, feeling their silkiness beneath his fingertips. When Yixing comments on recognizing some of the plants from the ones littering the two cities, Yifan confirms and tells him they’ve extracted some of those plants to give the cities _life_ and that they found the Serenliebes in an area of the forest that glows as the light of the moon is being reflected from the flowers’ petals. The joy is evident in the scientist’s eyes upon hearing about the flower that seems to have bonded the two of them together and even if he doesn’t ask, the royal knows he wants to see its origin for himself.

The prince smiles at the scientist’s eagerness and curiosity, eyes wide as he inspects the plants surrounding them, “Our ancestors created a technology that can fatten the clouds and pour the rain over our lands.” Yifan continues his story, watching Yixing’s amusement over the foliage, “They didn’t realize that, over time, the rain water accumulated here and started spreading across the land, filling old gorges and creating a sea.”

From above, the body of water looks more like a lake because of the enclosure created by the surrounding forest and mountains. So Yixing voices this out, hoping to correct the prince, “But with its fresh water, this is more like a huge lake rather than a sea.”

The taller male looks down and the scientist thought that he had angered the prince but Yifan wears a confused expression instead of an upset one, “Don’t you call all the huge bodies of water on your planet ‘sea’?”

The scientist giggles behind his hand, enjoying the way the prince’s face scrunches up with his bemused expression.

“Well, we have oceans as well,” Yixing replies after his giggles die down, the royal’s face still fixed in its confused state, “but I guess this can count as an inland sea. I mean, it doesn’t really matter, we’re not on Earth anyway.” This seems to make the royal relax, nodding as he agrees with the other’s words.

“Sorry for interrupting,” the scientist realizes that the prince fell silent, his earlier story cut in the middle, “Please continue.”

Yifan clears his throat as he watches his men move about, “Plant life started growing, even without them knowing.” The prince looks around, thinking of how much the forest has grown since then. “I forgot to tell you,” the royal realizes, as if something in his brain has suddenly been switched on, “this place is called _Smaragdwald_.” The scientist nods, not knowing the meaning behind the word just yet but allowing the foreignness of it to roll off his tongue before gesturing for the royal to continue.

“One day, one of the men who is in charge of dropping the seeds into the clouds noticed a patch of water.” Yifan continues his story, maneuvering his hand so he doesn’t have to remove his arm from Yixing’s hold as he forms a small circle with his large hands, “It was just this big back then. Now,” he removes the connection of his hands and increases the gap between them, “it’s this big.”

Yixing’s eyes move from Yifan’s large hands, that are now at least a meter apart from each other, to the body of water before them, miles and miles of nothing but pure clean water stretching out to cover the once lifeless lands. The scientist wonders for a minute if marine life is also present there but Yifan’s voice brings him back to the conversation, leaving his musings for later.

“Our ancestors deduced that there is a depression in this part of the planet and that it could have been filled with water before it got emptied out for some reason.” The prince returns his hand to his sides and motions to somewhere across the horizon, “My father, the King, was afraid that it would grow so large that it will reach our cities and fill them with water.” Yixing uses a hand to shield his eyes to get a clearer view of what the royal is pointing at.

“Wind turbines.” The scientist blurts out when he finally sees them. Large enough to be seen even from where they are, they are white with thick bodies to support the massive rotors that stand atop them, the spinning objects spanning the length of one of the mid-sized domes that Yixing has seen in Sonnenstadt. He wonders how he could have missed something as big as those when they were flying over the sea.

“If that’s how you call them,” Yifan smiles, motioning for one of his men to carry on with his task.

“What’s their function?” Yixing asks, vaguely wondering just how excited Jongdae and Baekhyun would have been if they were able to see this technology and what it can do. “Back on Earth we only use them to generate electricity.”

“They have two functions,” Yifan makes a line with one of his fingers, following the wide pole that holds the blades, “their bodies have vents, similar to the ones we have on the ground, which I still have to show you next time.” Yixing sees the prince worry his bottom lip before continuing, as if chastising himself for forgetting, “They absorb the heat radiating from Sonnenstadt and use it for one, power just like how your kind does and two, for when we produce rain.” The scientist nods, still curious about how they actually work.

The prince proceeds to explain, “First, the vents suck the hot air to this area so the water from the sea will evaporate and stay in the clouds.” That much, Yixing understands. He allows for Yifan to demonstrate just how the wind turbines function. At first he doesn’t sense anything different, until he feels the heat, sees it blur his vision as it creates a mirage above the sea. He feels as if his face will melt any minute now but when he looks to his side to check on the prince, the other seems utterly comfortable in his layers of clothing. It doesn’t take long until the heat dies down, then Yifan is pulling him out of the shade and into the building that looks like the observatory and tower for the wind turbines, all of its sides covered with glass from floor to ceiling. Once inside, the prince makes Yixing face the other direction, away from the sea, gesturing towards a different set of the huge turbines, taller than the ones placed in the middle of the sea, tall enough to reach the clouds. “And then this set pushes out those clouds,” the royal points above them, “so the rain will make a landfall in Mondstadt and Sonnenstadt.” Yixing nods, in awe at how they managed to manipulate their surroundings to supply their needs.

“Impressive,” he breathes out in astonishment as he watches the clouds move faster towards the other side, head moving along with it.

“Come,” Yifan offers his arm to Yixing once more, “let’s get going so we can arrive in Mondstadt before the rain does.”

 

Yifan quickly pulls Yixing to a covered area once they land back in Mondstadt, the streets are already deserted by the citizens of Tuhwntmae’rsêr knowing that it is a day for rain. The scientist wonders why they aren’t out and enjoying the cool water over their body, most especially those who spent their day toiling; surely the free water the rain brings can wash away a day's worth of hard labor. These thoughts circulate in his mind as he looks around the residences surrounding them, some of the domes covering their usually open roofs are glowing with the light coming from within the house. Yixing widens his scope of observation, letting his eyes travel to the high rise buildings on the third and fourth crescents of Mondstadt where rows of light illuminate the units. He closes his eyes and listens to their surroundings, the cerbyds flying above them, taking the Llwyth people back to their homes far from where Yixing is standing under the shade of someone else's home. The prince doesn't say a word, not wanting to distract the scientist from his quiet observation, taking his tablet out to see the progress of some projects and to check where the clouds currently are.

It takes them some time to reach the city and when they do, Yixing has already memorized the sounds of Mondstadt and put into memory the silhouette of the city. Yifan explains that they don’t want to completely take over the course of nature and that the time it takes for the clouds to move from the sea to Mondstadt allows for the water to settle into the clouds before the liquid is dropped on the land.

Then they see them, although since it is dark and clouds are clouds, Yixing can’t be sure if they are the same ones that Yifan’s people seeded with rain. The prince explained to him earlier that they still seed the clouds but only when they are already at a close distance to Mondstadt just to reinforce the rainfall.

The dusty roads of Mondstadt start getting sprinkled with dark dots, some small, some huge, as the rain splatters on the pavement. The nearby houses, whose residents belatedly realized that it is the usual 15th day for rain, and even the palace have drawn up protective domes to cover their open roofs. The scientist watches as the rain creates light shadows as the droplets pass through the light of the lamps that line the streets of the city.

Yixing hikes the fabric up that’s covering his right arm and places his hand out to feel the cool water on his skin, the breeze that comes along with the rain making him shiver in delight. It is nostalgic, as torrents of rain start to pelt down on the quiet city. The rain brings back childhood memories for the scientist, memories of dancing in the rain and wondering how it was made, of smiling all to himself as he feels every drop of water wash away a part of himself that he isn’t proud of even as a child, of how the rain is the only one who listens to his words both of joy and sorrow. The memories lead him to let go of the prince’s arm in exchange for being embraced by the rain once more. The prince calls out to him but his voice is lost to the thunderous sound of the water hitting the dry earth.

Yifan, even if he wants to pull Yixing back into the shade and keep him warm amidst the cool temperature brought on by the rain, stops and stares. He watches as the light of the lamp overhead plays on the figure of the scientist, creating a halo of warm orange outlining his figure and making his form glow as he plays under the rain. It seems childish, to spin around in the middle of an empty street like a kid would but Yixing has his arms out and his head is facing the angry clouds with his dimple digging deeply into his cheek, uncaring of what other’s might think. And Yifan can’t help but watch him with bated breath, eager to see what the human will do next. Then Yixing stops spinning, hands still outstretched on his sides as if he is offering himself to the rain while he seems to be mumbling something. The royal is curious but doesn’t want to interrupt, so he leans against the wall and allows the scientist to enjoy his time under the rain. He really just wants to watch Yixing’s smile a bit longer, the dimple of the human for Yifan alone to see.

 

Once Yixing is soaked through and through, looking very much like he dipped into an ocean, the rain dies down a little and the scientist finds shelter once more where the prince is, shivering as he makes his way to stand beside Yifan. The royal removes his cloak and covers Yixing with it, drawing the human close before placing his large hand on Yixing’s arm, rubbing up and down to create heat as he keeps him near his own body. The smaller male blushes at the prince's gesture, hiding his face under the hood of the cloak and not stopping the royal from proceeding with his measures to produce heat for Yixing. They are interrupted when the royal's most trusted guards arrive to their aid and the scientist is half thankful that they decided to come to their rescue because he doesn't think he can take being so close to the royal as they are alone anymore.

They cross the road to the palace in silence with Jongin and Zitao sheltering them with a waterproof cloth. Even without having to do so, the prince pulls Yixing to his side with his large hands on the human's shoulders. Once they have gone past the entrance, the two march in and walk straight towards Yifan’s chambers, the prince stopping only once to accept a towel from one of the maidservants to dry the scientist off as he removes the cloak that Yixing’s clothes have soaked as well.

The prince leads them to the scientist's room and instructs for him to bathe, adjusting the heater inside Yixing’s room as he waits for the scientist to finish showering and changing into a set of fresh clothes. Yifan had asked for the other's clothes to be pressed before he puts them on so they would keep him warm despite their make being the same as the royal's clothes.

“Yifan,” at the sound of his new name, the prince turns around to find Yixing in the peach-colored tunic he has chosen for the scientist to wear, the clothing giving him a glimpse of the human’s collarbones. “These are new,” Yixing comments as his hands slide down the fabric, his porcelain-like skin making the color stand out even more.

“Yes.” Yifan turns around fully and walks to where Yixing is, wanting a closer look of the scientist in the new clothes the prince has asked to be made for him. “The fabric is new and we were just testing it out weeks prior to your arrival.” Yixing doesn’t feel anything particularly special about the clothing though, hands following the fabric that covers his arm. “It will keep your body on a constant average temperature, even if it rains or is too hot, the surrounding temperature won’t affect you.” There is obvious wonder in Yixing’s face, his lips forming a small ‘o’ as he smooths the fabric once more.

“Is that why you didn’t seem bothered by the wave of heat a while ago?” Yixing tilts his head slightly to the side, an adorable expression written all over his face as he coaxes an answer out of the prince.

“Yes,” Yifan answers matter-of-factly, a little taken aback by Yixing’s sudden show of a cute side towards him, even if the human probably didn't mean to, “they worked very well," he fights not to stutter as he watches the ripple of emotions on the other's face, all laced with a hint of cuteness in them, "so I asked for your clothes to be sewn using the same fabric.”

The scientist hums and brushes his fingertips over the fabric once more. With a little bit of hesitance he says, _“Dziękuję.”_

Yifan’s eyes grow wide as this is the first time for him to hear Yixing speak in Llwyth language. He notices that the other is growing red to the tips of his ears, likely a sign of embarrassment as the scientist also looks away while worrying his bottom lip. He can already hear the apology at the tip of Yixing’s tongue but before the other can even begin to utter it, the prince says, _“Croeso lawn.”_

Yixing smiles, relieved that he didn’t butcher the language for once and was able to choose the right word to convey his message. He follows the prince when the royal motions for the two of them to sit down and his eyes instantly dart to the rain drops dripping down the window that saves his room from being flooded. He raises a finger and traces one of the droplets as it courses down and splashes once it reaches the windowsill.

Yifan notices, and can’t help but remember the way Yixing’s eyes lit up when the rain started pouring down a while ago. His figure glowing underneath the streetlamp is still dancing in front of the prince’s eyes, even now, an hour after it has happened. He remembers seeing Yixing spinning on his toes and mumbling to himself as the clouds showered their weight on his small body and before the prince can stop himself, he is already asking, “Awhile ago, why did you do that?” Yixing abruptly stops his fingers and faces the prince, tilting his head to the side once more, “Why did you run out into the rain?” Yixing makes a face of realization before a small smile graces his lips, eyes gazing once more to the quiet city, its streets filled once more by its citizens since the rain has cleared out.

“Rain reminds me of my childhood.” Yixing raises his hand to plant his palm against the glass again, fingers drumming against the cool surface as his mind races back to years ago. “Being an orphan, I grew up with nothing much to play with,” his mouth stays open for a little while before closing again to continue his answer, “whenever it rained I would sneak out of the room and run outside.” A small smile adorns his lips as memories of his childhood in that old orphanage in Changsha fill his mind, pushing away other thoughts.

“An orphan?” Yifan questions him, clear confusion clouding his sapphire and golden eyes. He doesn’t seem familiar with the concept so Yixing explains it to him before moving on.

“I don’t have a family,” Yixing says, his smile, still present as he shares this very personal bit of himself, morphing into something more melancholic, “I used to have one, but I lost them and no one could take me in so I was brought to the orphanage.” Yifan mirrors his expression, a pang of pain piercing his heart at the thought of a small child being left alone by his own family. The prince wants to ask how the other lost them but when he sees the flash of warning in Yixing’s eyes, he holds himself back.

It takes a moment for the scientist to pick up from where he left off, eyes never meeting Yifan’s, always longingly looking up at the clouds or down to the families strolling in the streets.

“It was raining when I first went to the orphanage,” Yixing’s mind supplies him with a memory, so vivid that he feels himself shudder like he did that day, arriving with only the clothes on his back, “the kids called me a wimp for crying, so I ran out of the room and stayed under the rain so they wouldn’t see my tears.”

Yifan wants to stop him because his story is starting to become too sad for the prince to take, breaking his heart with every single word. But Yixing seems to have gone into a stupor, eyes transfixed to an elevation just outside the border of the city, his mind still keeping him to that day almost twenty years ago.

“I cried and let it all out,” the scientist smiles a little, “and felt relieved afterwards. Ever since then I would go out whenever it rained, and share everything to the droplets that joined my tears that day.” Yixing heaves a sigh, sounding as if a heavy weight has been lifted from his chest just by saying those words.

Yifan is itching to reach out and hold Yixing’s hand but he isn’t quite sure whether the other would see it as a comforting gesture or a sign of pity. So he keeps his hands to himself instead, eyes trained to the human’s brown orbs, wanting nothing but to erase the sorrow and filling them with something better.

“You didn’t have to tell me everything,” the royal’s voice makes Yixing jump a little, belatedly making him realize that he isn’t alone and that he just shared a part of himself that no one else knows. “But I am glad to know such an intimate part of yourself. Everything that is important to you is important to me as well.”

Yixing smiles at the prince’s words, half-expecting that he will be judged for regressing, his most precious memories not being taken seriously. He knows the prince doesn’t like seeing him this way, nobody wants to watch another person break down because of their past, so he pulls himself together and remembers the good things, the way the rain washed him clean once more.

“Don’t tell anyone.” Yixing returns to the present, turning his gaze back to the prince who’s been watching him for the past few minutes. His eyes glow and seem to have been drained of the sadness the past has brought on mere minutes ago. He raises a finger to his lips as a sign of silencing Yifan, “It’s our little secret.”

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

“Why are they looking at me like that?” The matter has been bothering Yixing ever since his first outing to Sonnenstadt and only now is he bold enough to ask Yifan about it, “I’ve been here for almost two weeks, shouldn’t they be used to my presence by now? My crew walks along the streets of Mondstadt as well but they never get as much attention as I do. Is it because of you or because I’m human?” His grip around Yifan’s arm tightens as they pass by a group of men, who are openly ogling the scientist, their eyes having been following Yixing’s figure from the moment he stepped down from their vehicle. The prince throws them a look, carefully removing Yixing’s hand from his arm so he can hold the other close by his waist. Yifan’s actions makes the scientist gulp and flush red, quite thankful that no one is bothering to stop the prince for a little chat or else they might notice the colour in his cheeks. He knows the prince is only doing this to keep him safe and away from the eyes of others who might be having indecent thoughts about him but Yixing can’t help but feel that there is more meaning behind the simple gesture.

“It isn’t only because you are human, Yixing,” Yifan finally answers him as they enter one of the domes to check if the farmers’ produce are doing well after the rain the day before. The prince instantly lets go of his waist once they are in the confines of the dome. Yixing can’t deny that he misses the contact but lets himself be content with the arm offered by the royal. “You may have noticed that only royals have pale skin and most of our people, even the guards who keep us safe,” Yifan points to Jongin and Zitao, “have tanned skin.” Yixing hums but his face gives no hint of fully understanding. “They think you are a royal from your planet, and every royal is to be treated preciously.”

Yixing remembers his history tutor talking about the origins of the Llwyth people. According to him everyone had pale skin back then, and having settled in the area of the planet where the sun doesn't shine, it was easy for them to keep such colour. But working under the sun had it's benefits as well, so the ancestors of the Llwyth people decided to take advantage of the land on the other side of the planet. They tried looking for root crops around the planet and created some as well to cultivate and produce in order to keep their people alive.

There were two types of people then, the ones who thought of and invented things, the brains, and the ones who toiled under the sun, the brawn. There were no royals back then, no one definite person or family to rule over the planet. But Yifan's family were composed of the most intelligent and well-versed people, so that it was no brainer that the prince's ancestors were best fit to be given the reins over the land and its people. Because of this, Yifan's family stayed in Dinas Hynafol, planning and creating everything in one place while the people of Tuhwntmae’rsêr worked to put their inventions to use.

They created the cerbyds in answer to the people's need for transportation from their homes to their workplace. They created the domes as protection from the heat of the sun. But one of the most successful and well-praised inventions of their family are the vents. They are placed all over the planet and work to suck the hot air from Sonnenstadt to even out the very low temperature in Mondstadt, giving both cities, and the whole planet, exactly the right temperature.

However, even with all these inventions, due to the other Llwyth people's labor under the sun, their skin became more tanned and eventually changed their genetics as well. Their offspring inherited their olive skin and their colored hair, and along with it the devotion to work for and with their own kind. And the royals, being hidden away from the sun, kept their pale complexion and silvery long hair, their knowledge still as bright as before, their thoughts never waning and their inventive minds never exhausted.

“Tywysog.” A man removes his hat and bows once he sees the royal. By now, Yixing is already knowledgeable of the important words that he needs to remember, although he still has troubles pronouncing them. Yifan excuses himself and tends to his duties, telling Yixing he can roam around and look at the farm freely.

Instead of being fascinated by the vegetation, Yixing’s mind runs a mile a minute as his eyes flit to where the prince is inspecting the produce; the royals words deep and resounding in his ears.

Yixing is human and he is no royal. He isn’t quite sure whether the prince or anybody knows of this but Yifan is willing to marry him, even without knowing whether he has any noble extensions to his name or not. It makes him worry that there is more than the prince lets on, even if he already knew in the first place that the prince is only marrying him as payment for their intrusion. What he fears the most is that he knows it is possible for the people of Tuhwntmae’rsêr to blame him and his human blood for weakening the bloodline of the Llwyth royals in the future. Although he knows he isn’t capable of bearing a child himself, he is sure they have the technology to make it possible. However, he thinks that what hurts more is the idea that because of his inability to carry a child, Yifan might have a woman to sleep with and impregnate with his child. He doesn’t know why but that thought makes way for more feelings to come out, feelings he never thought he had. Howbeit, before he can even ponder on these, he hears a familiar deep voice behind him.

“You’re so deep in thought,” Yifan breaks through his contemplation, making him turn and face the prince. His sight is blurry for some reason; then he hears panic in the royal’s voice, “Why are you upset?” Yixing feels the prince’s hands heavy on his shoulders before they move to his cheeks, cupping them as thumbs swipe the apples of his cheeks. The scientist belatedly realizes the reason for his blurred vision. He is crying. Quickly he presses the heels of his palms onto his eyes, hoping they will be enough to stop his tears from falling. “Yixing, tell me why you’re crying,” there is concern etched on the prince’s face, his thick eyebrows furrowing as he lowers himself to be on eye level with Yixing, “please.”

“I-I don’t know.” Yixing pulls at his sleeves to cover his palm before pressing them over his eyes again, the fabric darkening as it soaks up the saline fluid. “It’s…it’s nothing, Yifan. D-don’t worry…about me…”

“How can I not when you’re stuttering and spilling tears?” Concern bleeds through Yifan’s voice, his fingers frantically catching tears as his hands squeeze the other’s cheeks.

“I’m okay, just tend to your work first.” The prince isn’t sure what he needs to say and do to calm Yixing down without knowing the reason behind his crying. All he can do is stay and be there for him but the human doesn’t allow him, pushing him to do things other than worry for him.

“But Yixing…”

“That’s more important right now,” the scientist cuts him off, fear of being banished for speaking up to a royal forgotten as he slowly gains control over his sobbing. His words lie heavy on Yifan’s chest but as much as he wants to protest and tell Yixing that he is wrong, the prince also wants to honor his wishes. Reluctantly, he lets go of the other’s face, hands finding Yixing’s and squeezing them, a gesture he’s never done for anyone before but it seems right at the moment.

“Just wait for me here,” he lifts one of his hands again to wipe Yixing’s tears as he continues, “I’ll be quick. We’ll return to the palace soon.” He lets go just as quickly, wanting to be done with his duties to be able to focus on Yixing.

Yixing does wait, his feelings overwhelming him again once he is alone. His heart races a mile a minute as thoughts about his marriage with the prince fill his mind once more. He trembles on his feet and barely stays up as he tries to refrain from crying. Afraid of its outcomes especially when he comes to realize the deeper meaning behind his tears. With barely any strength left in his legs, he walks to a nearby shed, back slumping against the wall. When Jongin notices his distress, the guard tries to walk up to him but he lifts his hand in reassurance as he shakes his head. The tall male nods and backs away, returning to Zitao’s side upon Yixing’s request, eyes flitting to his master every once in awhile.

Just as Yifan promised, he finishes with his work in Sonnenstadt quickly, leaving Yixing in his office to be alone after their farm trip at first while the royal goes around the city to finish his tasks.

The ride back to the palace is quiet, Yixing keeping to himself and not even bothering to meet eyes with the prince, instead keeping his gaze trained to the sandy ground below that gradually changes to rocky mountains. The scientist excuses himself to his room the second they step foot into the palace, bowing to the prince before disappearing towards the direction of Yifan’s chambers. When Jongin tries to follow the scientist, the royal halts him and tells him and Zitao to give the human some space and only interrupt him for supper. Even with concern on their faces, they follow the prince’s commands and stand guard in front of the royal’s chambers instead.

 

Yixing clambers up to his bed, not bothering to change his clothes like he usually would when he returns from a trip to Sonnenstadt, just curling in on himself as he feels the tears stinging his eyes once more. His earlier thoughts plague him again, unrelenting this time, as if they know he is alone and that they can harass his fragile heart without anyone interrupting to sweep him away and make him feel better about himself again. The thoughts he has suppressed the previous weeks to force himself to be in agreement with his fate, to marry the Tuhwntmae’rsêr prince, surge up and wrap their claw-clad hands around his heart until there is nothing but pain, nothing but sadness.

_Why me? Why does it have to be me? Why is he playing me like this? I know he’s only using me as a reminder for the people on Earth not to try anything funny by coming to their land again. But why is he treating me so gently if I am nothing but a prisoner, a slave to his wants, a payment for our intrusion?_

Yixing thinks of the possibilities if he had chosen something else to be fascinated with, if he chose something else to love other than the stars and planets. His blurry eyes shift to the open window, the distant stars winking at him and smiling without consideration for his feelings.

_If I didn’t like you so much, he projects his thoughts towards the stars, if I had chosen to become a simple person with simple likes and dreams I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be betrothed to a man whose sole intention is only to keep me as a warning for others and nothing more._

But his voice of reason, small yet strong, also tells him that if not for his fondness for the stars he wouldn’t have been able to meet Yifan and find a life outside of his own planet; a life that seems to be more exciting than the one he had back on Earth.

With his eyes heavy and body tired, drained from the day’s work and from crying, Yixing falls into a deep sleep, his pillow soaked with his tears. He doesn’t even bother fighting against it, seeing it as an escape from his reality.

 

Yifan tries his best to get more work done in his office, going through reports and checking on the progress of the new technology that Lu Han and his team are currently inventing. However, no matter how much he wants to be productive, his brain doesn’t allow him, instead supplying him with images of Yixing’s face with tears rolling down his cheeks.

At first, Yifan’s sole intention of keeping Yixing was for him to serve as a reminder to humans. He only intended to be nice to him to capture his heart and make him want to stay without putting up a fight, only to turn him into a slave once his friends are back on Earth. But Yifan has never been the type to be evil with ill intentions, the plan backfiring the moment he laid eyes upon the human, more beautiful than any being he’s ever seen, even if his only royal trait is his pale skin. He found himself unable to look away from the human, the melancholic twinkle in his eyes drawing him in and making him stay.

As time passed and he spent more time with Yixing, he realized that the latter part of his plans will never be put into action. Not when Yixing is smiling at him with his dimple and telling him to not work himself too hard; he’s never had someone worry for him as much as the scientist does, never had someone smile at him with such delight as much as the other has. So it worries him, to see the human cry like that when Yifan’s already so used to seeing him smile. He worries that his initial plans might have been leaked but nobody else knows about them. He is afraid that someone could have told Yixing about how the prince’s parents, old and greying, have been urging him to find a companion and be wed before they leave the planet completely. But it seems too shallow of a reason for the scientist to worry about and cry over. There is no way for his worries to be laid to rest other than to directly ask Yixing about it and he hopes this time, the other won’t avoid his questions.

The prince looks over at the time to see that it is well into the hour of their nightly garden trip. Pushing his duties to the side once more, Yifan stands up, dusts his clothes and leaves his office to find Yixing in his room.

 

“Yixing?” The prince doesn’t bother with manners and opens the door to Yixing’s room on his own, not wasting a second to see the other and check on how he’s doing. He finds the scientist sitting on his bed and looking out the window to the stars.

“Have you eaten?” The scientist nods, head bowed as the prince’s figure casts a shadow over him.

“Let’s go to the garden.” It’s a statement, not a question. Yifan knows the sight of the Serenliebes glowing under the moonlight and the scent of the flowers surrounding them will somehow relax Yixing, as the other has told him about it in the first few days that they started visiting the garden at night. The human doesn’t even protest as he stands up and takes the cloak offered to him by Yifan. The prince is slightly worried about his lack of response, even if such a response’s contents might be opposing the royal’s wishes but he still offers his arm and hopes the scent of the flowers will help him ease Yixing’s worries, whatever they may be.

Once seated at their usual spot in the middle of the garden, Yixing lets go of the prince’s arm. Yifan’s heart aches a bit for the gesture but he doesn’t read too much into it as the other always keeps his hands to himself once there is no more need for contact. He looks at the scientist, whose eyes are still downcast, his mood unaffected by the beautiful glow of the Serenliebes and the sweet scent surrounding them.

“Will you tell me what is bothering you?” Yifan asks once the silence is starting to become too much to bear. They always are quiet whenever they are together in the garden but usually it is the comfortable kind, neither feeling the pressure to do anything but bask in their surroundings. However, with the earlier happenings at the farm and with how Yixing holed himself up in his room for the rest of the day, the silence is anything but comfortable. It creeps up Yifan’s skin and pricks at his senses, making him more aware of the silence between them.

The scientist looks away, hands wringing as he bites his bottom lip, forcing the tears to stay where they are, “Are you just going to keep quiet?” Yifan tries to cajole the other into saying something once more, a hand landing on Yixing’s shoulder as he says, “At least, look at me.”

Yixing shakes his head, face scrunching up as he tries to pull himself together and not spill a single tear in front of the prince. His hands clench and unclench at his knees, bunching up his robes with as much force as he can to redirect his strength and emotions in hopes of losing the sense of guilt and pressure within him. But as much as he tries to keep them all in, his tears have a will of their own, escaping his tear ducts to slide down his cheeks.

Yixing’s face shines as the tears increase in volume. Yifan, noticing that his constant questioning is doing nothing but exacerbate the other’s crying, quietens down and removes his hand from Yixing’s shoulder, allowing him the space that he needs. However, the small choked back sobs he releases has Yifan looking his way every now and then, fingers itching to caress Yixing’s face and free his heart of pain.

“Should I make it rain so you can talk to it instead?” Yifan isn’t thinking when he says it, worry the only emotion encasing him as he watches the other shed more tears. Yixing shakes his head vigorously, saline droplets shaken away from his face. The prince lets go of his self restraints and reaches for the other’s head, patting down his hair in an attempt to soothe him, “Alright. Talk when you feel like it, I’ll listen.”

Yifan doesn’t say it out loud but he wants to be Yixing’s rain - to soak Yixing with his presence and be the one who hears all of his thoughts, the one who he pours his heart out to, absorbing all his happiness and washing away all of his sorrows. Yifan wants to be the most important presence in Yixing’s life as the other is in his.

After what feels like an eternity, Yixing finally speaks up, “For once I thought I am important to someone but I-I don’t think I am worthy of marrying you.” The prince almost experiences whiplash with how fast he turns his head towards Yixing, “You’re a prince and I’m a nobody.”

“Yixing…” The prince breathes out the other’s name, surprise evident in his voice upon hearing what has been clouding up the scientist’s mind and making him shut the royal out for a whole day.

“I know you’re only keeping me for my kind’s ignorant behaviors so you don’t have to treat me like I’m special,” Yixing hiccups and the prince wants to interrupt him but he is also curious as to what is going on in the mind of the human, to be able to understand him more, “I know you’ll find somebody else who is more worthy than I am, a woman, perhaps, to bear you an heir. So y-you can stop now,” the scientist finalizes, hands balled on his lap and eyes trained to the floor, “I know I’m not important to you.”

“But you are.” Yixing looks up at the prince’s words, eyes red and teary. Yifan doesn’t even stop his hands anymore from reaching for the scientist, cupping his cheek and sliding down to his neck. “You are the most important person to me.” Yixing looks like he is about to protest but the prince places his thumb on the other’s lips, effectively silencing him. His thumb grazes the plump bottom lip that’s been bitten with so much force it bleeds. He swipes the blood away before looking into Yixing’s eyes, “It is true that my intentions were impure at first but can you blame me for now wanting to keep you not as a prisoner but as a prize?” Yifan drops his hand from Yixing’s face to the hands balled on the scientist’s lap, eyes cast on the skies above them.

“My parents have been asking me to take someone into marriage, as they are getting old and will soon leave us,” Yifan starts, wanting no more secrets hidden between him and Yixing, “I had the intention of marrying you only to satisfy their requests but soon I realized that it was you that I’ve been waiting for.” He smiles a little as he remembers the day Yixing and his crew landed in Tuhwntmae’rsêr, marking it as his favourite. With his large hand, he squeezes Yixing’s smaller ones, trapping them within his hold with no plans of letting go. His eyes land on their hands before going up to meet Yixing’s. The scientist has calmed down a little bit but there’s still a hint of wariness in his eyes that the prince knows will always be present until he proves his words to be true, “I will marry you, Yixing, and I will take no one else but you.”

“What about an heir?” Yixing chooses to overlook what the royal just said as his worries still plague him, even with the tight grip around his hands, “I…what will the people say? I can’t bear you a child.” He looks down and worries his bottom lip, his fear once more catching up to him, “Even if I could, I would only weaken the royal bloodline.”

“Yixing,” the prince brushes the back of his hand against the other’s cheek, Yixing’s eyes instantly closing at his touch, “us royals are here only to be rulers of our kingdom, to keep our planet on the right track. We are not gods. Whether we choose a man, a woman, one of our kind or a human, our people will say nothing as we treat everyone equally.”

“But an heir,” the other looks up, eyes wide in panic as the problem is yet to be given a solution, “you still need an heir. I can’t give that to you, I’m a man.”

Yifan brushes Yixing’s cheeks once more, seeing it as a calming gesture for the other, as he goes on to explain, “All people of our land, man and woman, have the capability to be pregnant. You need not worry about that.”

Yixing considers this for a moment, not understanding how it answers his worries. Then his eyes widen at the implication of Yifan’s words, mumbling, “Are you…saying?” The prince nods his head as he sees Yixing’s face clear up in understanding.

“No, we can’t,” the scientist frantically shakes his head, looking away from Yifan, “I can’t. We…I…” The words die in his throat as the idea dawns on him, unable to form more words of protest other than, “You–You’re the prince here, Yifan.”

“So?” The prince looks unperturbed by his own suggestion. He thumbs on the apples of Yixing’s cheeks when the other looks at him a bit appalled, “Isn’t it more important that we are together?” Yixing’s eyebrows level and his lips form a pout at the prince’s words, his face looking so adorable that Yifan can barely contain himself. “If you are not comfortable with it, we can stop talking as long as you promise to stop worrying about it.” The pout on the scientist’s lips juts out even more as his eyebrows meet in the middle, “Whether we have a child of our own or not isn’t important. If you are hoping to leave a ruler after me, Sehun is always there to take my place. If not him, his child.”

Yixing seems to still be deep in his worries, eyes not meeting the prince’s as he sucks in his bottom lip, “Are my words not enough to put you at ease, Yixing?”

The scientist lifts his gaze up and responds quickly, “That’s not it, I’m just worried.”

“Over nothing,” Yifan reassures him. He places both of his hands on Yixing’s face, planting his forehead against the other’s, “I repeat, Yixing, it is you or no one else.”

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

After their talk, the nights they spend in the garden grow longer in hours, their conversations more open and their words more honest. Yifan tries to understand every mannerism that Yixing has so that he will be able to respond correctly, not wanting to experience another day where the other will suddenly burst into tears. He patiently studies the scientist, the other’s moods and what he needs to do if ever they go south. It is a process to be in a relationship, to get to know someone and be able to be honest with them and bare all your deepest, darkest secrets, to put down all your defenses to show all your weaknesses. But Yifan is willing as Yixing seems to be as well, their conversations going back and forth and bouncing from one topic to another, from their past, both the sad and happy parts of it, to their dreams, the ones they wish for their own and the ones they wish for them both, together.

 

One night, out of curiosity and maybe to break the silence, Yixing asks, “Are you going to get mad at me if I ask you how old you are?” They are lying on the grass, in the middle of the garden, their cloaks spread beneath them, “I’m afraid humans are quite touchy about this subject.”

“Hmmm,” Yifan thinks about it, if he really cares but he doubts he would deny Yixing any answer, uncaring of whether the question is a bit insulting or not because he knows the other is only asking things out of curiosity. However, he still answers as honestly as he can, as honestly as he knows Yixing wants him to, “I might get annoyed, if I knew how old I am, but not mad.”

The prince hears a little noise from his side where Yixing is, “Right, you don’t have dates,” the scientist seems to be thinking, humming as the gears in his brain start working, “Do you know how many days you’ve been alive then?”

“That,” he looks to where Yixing is, the scientist turning his head at the same time, “I can tell you.” Yixing smiles at him, the excitement evident in his eyes as he rolls on his stomach and watches Yifan with slight amusement.

Yifan retrieves his tablet from his pocket, directing it to the golden earring pierced to his left ear, the device glowing blue and lighting up their faces in the middle of the night. Once the folded tablet beeps, the prince places it in front of his eyes to read the information collected by the device from his earring.

The royal hums as he scrolls through the data, making a sound when he sees the one that he needs. He places the device in front of Yixing’s face, his pupils rimmed with blue due to the glowing light of the screen, “10,430 days,” Yifan says, pointing to a row of what Yixing remembers to be numbers in Llwyth writing.

“May I borrow your tablet?” Yifan nods and places the folded device into the other’s palm in answer, aware that Yixing already knows how to use it.

The scientist opens up a blank page where he scribbles the numbers. Without knowing how to use the equivalent of a calculator on the planet, Yixing does the traditional way of dividing numbers. He scrunches his forehead as he comes up with the final result. Yifan watches him with amusement, even rolling to his side and propping his elbow on the ground to support his head, to get a better and closer view of Yixing’s concentrated face.

“Hmmm, it looks like you are just a year older than me,” Yixing informs the prince once he is done calculating, the numbers two and eight glowing above the other numbers, “in Earth time though.”

“Does it matter?” Yifan asks Yixing as he watches the other erase what he has written before folding the device once more to give back to the prince.

“Not really, I was just curious.” The scientist shrugs before adding, “Aren’t you happy to know though?”

Yifan thinks about it. It doesn’t really bother him whether Yixing is older or younger than him but he knows the right answer to the other’s question, “If it makes you happy, then I am too.”

 

Instead of offering his arm out for Yixing to take, Yifan just outright grabs the other’s hand to hold in his when the scientist finally comes out of his room. It shocks the younger for a second until he realizes what just happened, causing him to blush, his face firing up due to the prince’s sudden gesture.

Ever since the night he confessed his feelings for Yixing, Yifan has taken to having his own lessons while the scientist is busy with his; lessons on how to make the other feel that he is important to Yifan just as the prince has proclaimed.

Baekhyun and Jongdae, his self-proclaimed tutors, who take the time off of their repairs of the Chariot to teach the Tuhwntmae’rsêr prince, have told him that holding hands is the most simple gesture shared by people in a relationship. They expounded that it is done both to claim ownership of the other and to serve as a connection for them at the same time. The humans have also instructed him to always compliment Yixing because it shows that he is watching the other carefully and proves to the scientist that he is worth all the praise in the world. The two tutors emphasized that he should always take into consideration his partner’s feelings whenever he does something because Lu Han has shared, after overhearing their little lesson, that Yifan is a man who does whatever he feels like doing without taking into account the feelings of others.

“What are you doing?” Are Yixing’s first words after the prince took the scientist’s smaller hand into his own.

Yifan looks down at him for a second before giving him an obvious answer, “Holding your hand.”

“I can see that.” the scientist eyes their clasped hands, feeling his face colour once more as the elder squeezes his hand, “But why?” They pass by a few workers in the palace who eye their linked hands and Yixing just wants to curl in on himself to escape from all the attention that the simple gesture is getting them.

“To show affection,” Yifan answers as they walk down the stairs to get to the vehicle waiting for them, he is already quite late for some meetings he is supposed to have with the Llwyth’s council of farmers. However, he doesn’t mind the stares he will get once he arrives at his office, not when he feels the warmth of Yixing’s hand against his. Then he realizes something from the way the younger is shying away from the looks the people around them are giving him; he forgot the other thing the humans told him, to take Yixing into consideration. He quickly releases the smaller’s hand and utters an apology, “I…I’m sorry. Did you not want me to hold your hand?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Yixing tries to appease him, his cheeks still burning as his mind is stuck at the prince’s earlier words: _to show affection_. Even with a dozen eyes following them around, he bravely holds out his hand for the prince to take once more, stopping a few meters away from their vehicle. Yifan smiles as he looks at the outstretched palm, closed-lip but still ethereal like his overall presence. “T-take it already,” Yixing stutters in embarrassment for his own actions and the prince gladly takes the younger’s hand in his, marching to their cerbyd with a content smile on his face. Yifan doesn’t let go of the scientist’s hand even as they reach Sonnenstadt and roam around the streets to talk to the citizens; the simple act connecting them as they are surrounded by a dozen people. Yixing is thankful that the prince is taking steps to be more open with him after the scientist spilled every little worry he has about their union. There is still a long way to go but he is willing to walk the path as long as he has Yifan’s hand intertwined with his.

 

“Sleep well, Yixing,” Yifan says as he stands in front of the other’s room, the younger already inside with his door still open. The scientist smiles up at him, his eyes already closing from exhaustion. The urge to kiss the younger is way too strong for Yifan not to act upon it and with as much restraint as he can cast on himself, he cups Yixing’s cheeks and kisses his forehead. The prince feels the younger’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, his eyes probably alert again because of Yifan’s actions.

“Sorry,” the royal apologizes when he releases his hold on Yixing, still feeling the warmth that quickly occupied the human’s face, “I couldn’t help it.” He sees Yixing worry his bottom lip while he sways back and forth on his heels, probably thinking of how, and whether or not he should respond to the prince’s advances.

“It’s okay, I guess,” the scientist answers weakly, head still bowed to hide the colour on his cheeks.

“Look at me then, if it really is.” Yifan reaches for Yixing’s hand, shaking it slightly to get the other’s attention. The younger feels like a high school student who just got his first kiss again and the thought only fires him up even more, twisting his insides as the image of Yifan closing in on him as he leans down to kiss Yixing’s forehead plays in a loop in his mind. Yifan takes the matters to his own hands and lifts the younger’s chin, a little surprised at the shade of red on Yixing’s face. It fits him however, makes him more beautiful and special than he already is.

“Can I do it again?” There is hesitance in Yifan’s voice, as he repositions his hand so that his thumb is on Yixing’s lips. He can accept it if the younger feels it is too early to do this, Yixing’s crew has told him that with the scientist’s nature it may take a while for them to move from holding hands to kissing. He is in no rush either, seeing as he will be spending the rest of his life with Yixing anyway. The royal would rather do it when the other is more comfortable about the thought of kissing than having him feel forced to do it. “It’s alright,” he assures Yixing, cupping his cheek again, one thumb rubbing the skin that is pulled taut over the younger’s cheekbone while the other is doing the same to the back of Yixing’s hand, drawing circles to calm him, “we can take things slow.”

To Yifan’s surprise, Yixing closes his eyes and shakes his head, his grip tightening around the prince’s hand, “I-I want you to.”

“You don’t have to force yourself, Yixing,” the prince looks at the younger with thoughtful eyes but there is something swirling within the beautiful brown orbs that are looking up at him; a new kind of emotion he has never come across before. He understands what it is about when Yixing opens his mouth next.

_“Please.”_

Yifan feels something stir in his gut and it is like Yixing’s lips are drawing him in, his body leaning down in reflex while his hand lifts the younger’s face up. Yixing tip toes and parts his lips slightly, awaiting the contact of the elder’s lips against his.

It is instant, the electricity of their connection jolting their senses and taking the soft brushing of lips to a new level; the pairs of plump flesh pushing harder at each other as Yifan pulls Yixing close to him with an arm around the younger’s waist. They stay stuck with their lips gliding smoothly and in no haste, taking all the time the world allows them to have.

Yifan lovingly massages Yixing’s lips with his, taking the smaller’s plump bottom lip between his lips before the upper lip, the younger accepting everything that the royal gives him. The sigh of contentment that leaves Yixing’s lips pushes Yifan to do more and drown the younger in his kisses. He swipes his tongue against the younger’s bottom lip, not forcing his way in and instead waiting for permission. When he feels the tip of the younger’s tongue poke his own, he feels a renewed vigor, promptly pushing his tongue in to chase Yixing’s. Their tongues dance around each other as their hands roam around each other’s body, palms squeezing and splaying at appropriate areas.

Yixing moans into the kiss, urging the elder to press their bodies even more together and swallow the sound into his mouth. The younger appreciates Yifan’s kisses by allowing himself to give in to his body’s wishes just as he knows the prince wants him to; to be honest about his feelings. He doesn’t let go of Yifan and moves fluidly with the other’s body without even having to think about it. They only part when the need for air becomes too strong, a string of saliva connecting their swollen lips, Yixing’s hands balled into the front of the elder’s clothes.

Yifan holds Yixing close, their sweaty foreheads touching whilst they try to catch their breaths. He leaves a peck on the younger’s lips before completely letting him go, mesmerized by the smile his kiss has drawn on the other’s features. The prince bends down once more to steal another kiss from Yixing, the scientist scrunching his nose as a joke. Yifan smiles and kisses Yixing once more, addicted to the taste of his lips before he traces his nose against the younger’s, eventually leaving a last kiss to his forehead.

In the silence of the night, Yifan whispers, “Good night, love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ word/phrase/sentence (language): meaning]
> 
>  
> 
> Regen (German): Rain
> 
>  
> 
> Cerbyd (Welsh): Vehicle
> 
> Tuch aus Diamanten (G): Sheets of Diamonds
> 
> Smaragdwald (G): Emerald Forest
> 
> Dziękuję (Polish): Thank you
> 
> Croeso Lawn (W): You’re welcome


	4. Tala

Small hands grip his arms and shake him awake as a familiar voice calls out his name, “Yixing! Yixing!”

Blinking his eyes open, adjusting to the lights in his room, Yixing sees Kyungsoo’s face littered with black marks of dust and grease, his eyes frenzied and framed with heavy eyebags. But even with his messy hair and dirtied clothes, the junior scientist’s eyes seem to sparkle with excitement, the smile on his lips contagious.

“What is it, Soo?” Yixing sits up on the bed, rubbing sleep off of his eyes as he yawns.

“We’ve finished the communication device!” Kyungsoo exclaims, unable to wipe the smile off his face, turning to a grin that shows almost all of his teeth. Yixing stops his movements and looks at the other, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted.

“Really?” He asks, voice just above a whisper and Kyungsoo vigorously nods his head, the corners of his mouth stretching even farther than what the elder thought was physically possible.

Yixing wastes no time; he stands up and wraps his body with a robe, leaving his room in a haste without even bothering to wash his face or brush his teeth. Kyungsoo catches up and jogs before him, his silhouette the only thing Yixing can see as the hallways of the palace are dimmed for the night. Once they’ve reached the other side of the palace where their workroom is located, the younger pushes the door open, making Yixing’s robes flutter due to the force applied Adrenaline is running through both their veins.

The lights are all turned on to allow the crew to work even in the darkest hour. Yixing squints, eyes hurting from the sudden influx of brightness. He blocks it out with his hand and surveys the room to decide in which direction to head. The Chariot sits in the middle of the room, all of its doors open, tools scattered around it and wires pooling on either side of the vehicle. Minseok, Baekhyun and Jongdae face towards the door when they hear it open and the smile they give Yixing is excited and blinding. He quickly makes his way towards them, Kyungsoo following closely behind. The senior scientist takes the seat beside Minseok in the middle row, Kyungsoo taking the one on his other side.

“Ready?” Baekhyun asks the crew members sitting behind him and Jongdae, the collective nod making him smile once more. The tandem of engineers start turning knobs and flipping switches for the communication device to work without having to switch on the engine because they have yet to completely fix the rest of the vehicle, focusing first on the parts that need to be repaired to revive the only connection they have with their headquarters.

The screen of the monitor in the middle of the panel slowly lights up, all of their eyes trained to it as it shows the logo of NASA. The background changes and a page opens, asking for a password. Jongdae quickly types in the Chariot’s password, knowing that logging in will alarm the people back on Earth that they are trying to make contact. The screen changes again after the successful login, giving them a list of options of what they can do; create notes, file report, send report, make a call, etc. Jongdae taps the ‘Make a call’ icon and another list opens for the different departments that they are supposed to keep in contact with. The engineer selects the mission control tab and waits for the call to connect. Minseok, Yixing and Kyungsoo sit on the edge of their seats, the youngest in the crew biting his nails in anticipation. The crew leader reaches out to the other side to pull Kyungsoo’s hand down, reminding him that his fingers are still dirty. The rest of the crew laugh, breaking the nervousness upon hearing the spitting noises the youngest makes.

“Jongdae!” A frantic voice, not one of their own, stops the guffaws, their heads turning immediately to see Junmyeon on the screen. “Oh my god! It’s really you guys!” The man on the other side exclaims excitedly, his face relaxing after seeing the faces of the crew they have sent for the expedition. If they look closely, they can even see his eyes get a little teary at their reunion. “H-how are you guys over there?” Junmyeon croaks, the voice of fifty or more people crackling in the background. “We didn’t hear anything from you for two months,” the reminder of how long they have been on a planet far from theirs makes the crew go quiet. Two months and all they’ve done is repair their vehicle and try to find the portal, “We were starting to get worried that you didn’t make it to the other side.”

“Well, we are here,” Jongdae says, without the excitement one would expect to hear, “on a planet named Tuhwntmae’rsêr.”

“Where?” Junmyeon’s eyebrows furrow upon hearing the foreign word, not quite remembering the NASA team giving a name to the unknown planet. He seems to edge closer to the wide screen that also serves as the camera, as if it will improve his hearing.

“Tuhwntmae’rsêr,” Baekhyun is the one who answers now, the word rolling better from his tongue, “before we talk about that though, what happened to the portal?” The engineer raises both eyebrows, “We’ve scoured a large area of the planet already but we can’t find it anywhere.” He sounds as exasperated as he should, as any of them should, trying to find something that seems to be intent on hiding grating away at their patience.

“We’ve searched every nook and cranny, Junmyeon,” Kyungsoo adds from the back, tone flat and scary.

“About that,” the astronaut on the other side worries his bottom lip, seemingly unable to meet the eyes of the rest of his team, “we don’t exactly _know_ what happened but small explosions started occurring at the gateway minutes after your vehicle had successfully entered the portal.” The information has the crew breaking into a cold sweat, as this might mean that they’ll be unable to return, rendering those hours spent on finding something that is nonexistent all but wasted efforts. “The portal even spewed back some of the equipment you were supposed to bring with you,” Junmyeon adds, trying to remember anything else that they might need to know.

“Perhaps the weight was the issue?” Kyungsoo suggest from the back but Yixing shakes his head.

“Weight shouldn’t matter if we’re in the middle of space but we can’t really be sure,” he seems to be deep in thought, his knowledge of the technology they’ve created firing up in his brain. _“It is_ our first time to implement the concept of wormholes and actually use them, after all.”

“It could have been the weight,” Junmyeon looks thoughtful, facing towards the other astrophysicists in the room who shrug and are also unable to give definite answers. “When we tried to start it back up, the rims didn’t spin and we found some defective parts but don’t worry,” he reassures them, “we’re already in the middle of repairs and we’ll hopefully be done with them soon.” The collective sighs from the crew make Junmyeon smile, his eyes lighting up as he asks, “So how is the planet you landed on?”

The men inside the Chariot look at one another, unsure what they can and can’t say just yet. Yixing, seeing their unease, decides to speak up for them, knowing they are keeping their lips shut for his sake.

“It’s good here,” Junmyeon seems eager to listen, smile widening only to falter when he hears the rest of what the scientist has to say, “but we can’t live here because this planet is already inhabited by other beings.”

“W-what?” Junmyeon’s completely face falls, “Other beings?”

“Yes,” Yixing answers calmly, “they have told us not to intrude their planet again if we still plan to continue with our space explorations.”

“They didn’t harm you, right?” Junmyeon’s eyes flit to Jongdae for a millisecond before returning to Yixing’s face.

“We had a small altercation when they found us,” the scientist answers honestly, thinking that their team leader needs to know that truth, so that they would know how serious the Llwyth are about keeping the human race away from their planet, and for their team on Earth to be able to tend to the crew’s possible injuries for when they return. To this, Junmyeon’s eyes widen, the concern evident in them, “Minseok was shot in the ankle but they are also the ones who nursed him back to health.” Junmyeon looks towards his co-astronaut, eyes full of apologies.

“Are you alright now, Minseok?” The man asks from the control room, smiling a little when the elder raises a thumbs up. “How are they treating you guys?”

“They’re actually good,” Baekhyun chirps, “although they did try to hurt us, at first.” He shakes his head and juts his lips out, “But that’s pretty understandable when you find someone invading your space.”

“And they’re also the ones who took care of Minseok,” Jongdae reminds Junmyeon, “and they provide us food, shelter, basically everything we need, even the resources we require for repair.” Everyone in the vehicle nods their head in agreement to the engineer’s words.

“How were you even able to understand them?” Junmyeon asks next, after realizing that his crew seems to be comfortable where they landed, easing some of his worries.

“They speak our language,” a small gasp leaves Junmyeon’s lips at hearing Yixing’s words, “at least, some of them do.”

“How is that possible?” The furrow of Junmyeon’s eyebrows look comical but Jongdae keeps the comment to himself to listen to Yixing’s explanation instead.

“They said they’ve intercepted some signals from our planet, maybe some through the capsules and rovers we’ve sent out to study and collect data regarding other planets.” Junmyeon nods in understanding, wanting to ask more but seeing the tired eyes of his crew makes him cut back on the questioning.

“I’ll allow you time to rest now,” the astronaut says thoughtfully, “Just make sure to write a report on your findings and send it over. We’ll call you once the gateway is fixed.” The crew nods, fighting the yawns making their way out of their mouths in order to ask Junmyeon to tell their families that they do not need to worry because they are all well.

“That goes without saying,” Junmyeon gives them a fond smile before waving, “Now, rest.” The call gets cut off and the men slouch back into their seats, sighs and hums the only sounds leaving their lips and filling the vehicle as they think of the development and the possibilities of getting home soon, eyes fluttering shut as the exhaustion slowly creeps into their bodies.

Yixing smiles as he looks at his crew who have been working day in and day out just to fix whatever they can. He sighs contentedly, happy that they’ll be reunited with their families soon, hopefully.

 

Repairs are still being done to the Chariot when they receive a call from HQ, Junmyeon’s face almost filling the whole screen with how close he is to the camera. Jongdae laughs at how suspicious their team leader looks like.

“Is Yixing there?” The astronaut whispers towards the mic, hoping his voice isn’t loud enough for the scientist to hear if he were to be in close proximity to the vehicle.

“Nope, he’s out right now,” Baekhyun answers, words clipped because they haven’t mentioned, not even in their reports, that Yixing is set to stay in Tuhwntmae’rsêr and marry the heir to the throne. So they keep their mouths shut about the elder taking lessons regarding life in the foreign planet.

“Oh, good,” Junmyeon sighs in relief, resting his back against the chair for a split second before jumping up and leaning against the table again. The movement is so sudden, it makes the crew start in surprise as well. “We should pull a prank on him,” there’s a glint of mischief in his eyes and Jongdae is slightly proud that he’s starting to rub off on the astronaut, “like pretend that there’s a problem then when he’s about to break down, we’ll start singing happy birthday!” He grins widely as if he has just set out a plan for world domination. The astronaut then pulls a conical birthday hat and a party blower from beside the computer and shows it to the crew.

“Wait,” Baekhyun pats for the watch he has placed inside his pocket, “it’s Yixing’s birthday?” The crew looks at each other as Jongdae retrieves his own watch as well.

“Yes, it’s the seventh of October already,” Junmyeon starts waving the party blower, using it out of boredom as the crew figures out how time has passed by so quickly.

“It really is,” Jongdae whispers when he sees his watch light up and indicate the current date on Earth.

“Tell him to go there,” Junmyeon beams, his smile soft and warm, “I want to greet him.” Kyungsoo volunteers to fetch the senior scientist, standing up from where he is seated on a chair near the table set just beside the Chariot to hold the tools they need. The youngest gets a hold of the communication device that the Llwyth use, the item left to stay in the workroom they are currently working in.

Yixing has his own by now, given to him by Yifan himself, so that they have a way to talk to each other even when they are apart. Kyungsoo is the only one able to use the one that’s been placed in the workroom and the only devices he knows how to reach are Yixing’s and Lu Han’s. He makes a wrong call, the first time he tries, accidentally ringing Jongin’s device; the scientist having to apologize in Llwyth language with a blush on his cheeks when he hears the guard’s voice on the other end of the line. He knows he won’t be able to communicate with the guard so he quickly hangs up, hoping Jongin won’t see it as a rude gesture, before trying to dial Yixing’s device again. Fortunately, it really is Yixing who answers this time.

“We need you here!” He doesn’t bother with greetings, looking at the engineers and Minseok urging him on. “It’s urgent! Come now!” Then he hangs up, not waiting for Yixing to say anything, only aggravating the fact that the call is _urgent._

Minutes after the call, Yixing barges in through the doors, his clothes in great disarray after running from his study to the work area, having to request to pause his lesson from his tutor. Beads of sweat are forming on his forehead as he hunches forward to catch his breath, his hair out of its usual style due to the air pushing it up while he was running.

“What…” he breathes heavily, “What happened?” They feel slightly bad for pulling a prank on their innocent little Yixing but they also know that if anyone will let such a matter slide, it will be the senior scientist. Besides, they don’t mean any harm.

“J-Junmyeon wants to talk to you,” Minseok stutters to add effect, pointing towards the monitor. Yixing carefully walks towards the vehicle, still panting from the earlier unexpected exercise.

“Junmyeon,” he breathes out, then gulps, “what is it?”

“Well, the thing is, Yixing,” Junmyeon starts to look like he is worried, forehead creasing, hands wringing. The astronaut reaches for the party blower stealthily before saying, “Happy birthday!” He blows into the party tool, surprising Yixing while the rest of the crew start greeting the birthday boy as well.

“It’s my birthday?” He asks, a finger pointing to himself. Everyone nods, including Junmyeon who seems to be extremely fascinated with the party materials he has within his grasp. Jongdae shows the scientist his watch that says it is already the seventh of October. “T-thank you,” Yixing clears his throat and repeats his words of gratitude again without stammering and making sure to say them loud and clear for everyone to hear.

“When you guys come back here we’ll have a proper celebration.” Junmyeon says, blowing the party tool once more.

“Sure.” Yixing replies, a small smile on his lips at his own words, trying his best not to make his lips quiver at his one word lie. Junmyeon disconnects the call after wishing them luck for the repairs, reminding them that the next call would probably be when the gateway is already good to go.

They switch off the communication device since it is only running on battery at the moment, hoping to save as much of the energy source as they can. Once the screen is black again and they are sure that no Junmyeon or anyone from NASA can overhear their conversation, Baekhyun turns to Yixing, “You’re not going to tell them about it? Not even Junmyeon?”

The elder looks down knowing fully well, without it needing to be said outright, what the other means by _it._ He shakes his head then looks up to the engineer once more, “It’s best if they know nothing of it right now.”

The younger hums in understanding before resting his back against the seat again, not wanting to push the scientist any further because he knows it must be hard for Yixing.

“Anyway, happy birthday again.” Baekhyun greets Yixing one more time, lifting a fist that the scientist bumps with his.

“Thanks.” He replies to the overused greeting again, smiling as widely as he can.

Outside, just right by the entrance to the work room, amidst all the greetings Yixing is receiving, Yifan stands and overhears the merriment, feeling bad and sad that he isn’t aware of such an important day in his partner’s life.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Yifan is fidgety and unable to stay in one corner of the room, having to stand up and sit down every five minutes while he reads through reports sent to his office from different departments.

After overhearing Yixing’s conversation with his crew and finding out that it is the younger’s birthday, the prince rushed back to his office in fear of the scientist seeing him and finding out that he heard them talking. What’s worse is if he were to come up with nothing when the younger might expect something from him. He runs his fingers through his hair, ruining the style the long silvery mane was braided into by Yixing earlier after sharing a meal with the prince.

He silently chastises himself for not knowing such important details about Yixing’s life. Even if such occasions are not repeated and considered that significant to the Llwyth, he knows he has to make an effort to make Yixing feel as if he isn’t that far away from _home_. For a good amount of time, he just stares at the tablet in his hand, eyes scanning through words but not understanding what they say because his mind, instead of focusing on work, is running through ideas on how to celebrate Yixing’s birthday. He completely forgets about reading whatever document is opened on his tablet in favour of thinking of things that Yixing might like or openly has expressed a liking for.

The prince wants to run to the humans and ask them for advice once more when an idea suddenly hits him. He almost drops his tablet to the floor when he realizes what he can do for Yixing, his brain already supplying him with steps on how to make his plan a success. With a good present in mind, he continues with his duties, hurrying so as not to delay his plans for Yixing.

 

The prince interrupts Yixing’s lessons, quickly dismissing his tutor as the younger looks up to him with wide eyes from his worksheet of the Llwyth alphabet. Yifan wastes no time and tells the scientist to get his cloak, not sharing where they are going, just hurrying the younger into moving.

Yifan patiently waits for the younger outside of his room, taking Yixing’s left hand in his right when the scientist comes out. They don’t share any words as they walk through the halls, just smiles, nervous smiles from Yifan as he is still unsure whether Yixing will like what he is about to show him as a natal day present. He is thankful though that the younger doesn’t seem to be catching on to what he is doing, humming at the gentle breeze coming from the outside as if nothing is different from usual. The smile on Yixing’s lips relaxes the royal and the dimple digging in his cheek makes him certain, even if it is just make believe, that the younger will appreciate Yifan’s efforts.

Jongin and Zitao are beside them right when the royal and his companion exit the inner gates of the prince’s chambers. Zitao jogging ahead to prepare their vehicle when Yifan tells him to do so. Yixing only vaguely understands the prince’s commands, squeezing the large hand engulfing his own.

“Where are we going?” Yixing asks, now curious and wondering where they will be going at this hour. He is sure that the elder doesn’t have any business in Sonnenstadt as everyone is already back in their homes and enjoying supper with their families.

“You’ll see,” is Yifan’s only reply, his hand landing on Yixing’s coccyx to guide the younger’s body into their cerbyd. The prince laughs a little when Yixing narrows his eyes at him, finding it adorable how he tries to look at the elder suspiciously but still following his orders to get into the vehicle. Yifan follows after him, linking their hands once more as Jongin closes the door before their vehicle starts moving forward slowly, taking them to wherever Yifan wants to head to.

 

The landscape of Mondstadt being constant and unchanging doesn’t help Yixing in trying to find out where Yifan is planning to take him. The sweaty hand on his though tells him that the elder is nervous and whatever he has on his mind may be related to where they will be going. He squeezes the prince’s hand and smiles at him in hopes of easing his worries, unperturbed by the sweat clinging to his palm.

Yixing is satisfied when the elder starts drawing circles onto the back of his hand, the motions calming him as well. He relaxes into his seat and looks out the window. The scientist sees the highest mountain in Mondstadt, the rocky mountain surrounded by smaller ones. His eyes follow the rivers snaking below them, the water glistening under the moonlight. Yixing wonders if there are animals down there that the Llwyth have yet to discover. A while ago, Yifan showed him the only animal that they have come to domesticate, a small rounded creature that they call _Weiße Kugel_ which looks like a cat with white fur. The elder even offered to have one be sent to the palace since Yixing seemed to have taken a liking to it but the younger declined and told him he can’t look after animals because it seems tedious.

The scientist notices then that they are close to the sea, its edges sparkling like diamonds from a distance, making the body of water stay true to its name. Yixing looks towards Yifan and waits for him to say something but the elder still keeps quiet and just smiles at him. When the scientist pouts, Yifan releases his hand and places it instead on Yixing’s chin his thumb swiping over the younger’s lips. The prince leans towards Yixing and takes him by surprise by giving him a peck on the lips. The scientist’s eyes instantly flit to Zitao and Jongin who are silently fulfilling their duty. Even if the two look like they are focused on their job however, Yixing knows that they know what is going on in the back seat. He weakly slaps Yifan on the shoulder for the sudden kiss but the prince doesn’t even flinch, only leaning down once more to kiss Yixing’s cheek this time. A shudder runs through the younger’s body as he feels the prince’s lips graze his cheeks as they make their way to Yixing’s ear.

“Patience, love.” Yifan’s words silence Yixing, freezing him in place as the deep voice racks a shiver throughout his body. The younger gulps and faces towards the window, afraid that even with nothing but the moonlight, the prince will be able to see the way his cheeks are burning red. It’s not like it is their first kiss either but whenever their lips touch, Yixing’s mind just goes haywire and his body instantly flushes. A reaction he’s only experienced in accordance to Yifan’s kisses. But that doesn’t stop him from pulling the elder down every given chance to have those soft lips against his, given a situation where he knows no one is looking and no one will be able to catch him stealing kisses from the prince.

Yixing feels the elder’s hand grab his again as their vehicle slowly descends, the air around them creating a dusty pool around the cerbyd as they land on the shoreline.

Once they have climbed down from their vehicle, Yifan addresses their guards, _“Wartet hier auf uns.”_ Zitao and Jongin bow to them, the two walking towards opposite directions to find a place to sit and watch their surroundings while the prince and his companion walk away from them.

Yifan pulls Yixing to go deeper into the forest with only the moon lighting their way. The prince keeps his hold on the younger’s hand even as he sweeps vines and branches out of their way. The forest floor is teeming with plant life, the land moist compared to the rest of Tuhwntmae’rsêr. Fallen twigs from branches above crack under their shoes, the trees creating a canopy above them, the light of the moon slightly blocked by it and only landing in spots on the floor. Yixing is slightly afraid as this is his first inside the Smaragdwald, making the scientist keep close to Yifan as they go deeper into the forest, the foreign area dark and hiding things he doesn’t know yet. He is not sure if they will encounter some undiscovered living beings so he makes sure to stay pressed to the prince’s side, his other hand gripping at the elder’s arm. Yifan doesn’t seem to mind, the Llwyth’s pain threshold far higher than that of a human. Their closeness and Yixing’s apparent dependence on him also makes his heart sing as the younger is usually still shy in showing affection in such ways as physical contact.

After walking a straight path for what feels like hours, Yixing feels Yifan pulling him to another direction. He doesn’t voice out anything even if his curiosity is already killing him, scared that he may wake whatever creatures might be living between the quiet trees. But after a few minutes, Yixing sees that the path ahead of them is starting to clear out, the moonlight becoming stronger in that part of the forest.

Then Yixing sees it. The floor seems to glow and sparkle, catching his attention as they walk closer and closer. He loosens his grasp on Yifan’s arm and moves forward, his other hand letting go of the elder’s larger one. What awaits him is a small spring, barely three-fourths of the size of his room but that’s not what has his jaw drop down to the floor.

Serenliebes are surrounding the spring, the light of the moon reflected on the small body of water bouncing off and sparkling on the flowers’ petals. The scientist looks at the beautiful display for a good few minutes, his heart constricting a little at how wonderful nature is. He turns around just in time to find Yifan take the place beside him, the elder’s hand immediately finding his again.

Yifan looks down and into Yixing’s eyes, a smile drawing itself on his lips at the sight of the younger’s beautiful brown orbs reflecting the light of the moon, “Happy birthday.”

The scientist’s eyes are comparable to saucers when he hears the greeting pass through the elder’s lips, his cheeks burning up once more. He doesn’t remember telling Yifan about the occasion and he reminded his crew not to utter a single word to the prince about it because he doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it, he never did so on Earth either. Even with how playful Jongdae and Baekhyun are, if Yixing tells them not to do something they will always follow the elder’s request. So he wonders how the royal knows about his birthday.

Before Yixing can even begin to formulate his question, Yifan speaks up as if reading his mind, “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I heard your friends greeting you a while ago. Sorry.” The prince looks down, a bit embarrassed, “I wasn’t able to prepare anything special for you because I didn’t know earlier.”

Yixing shakes his head and places his palm on the elder’s cheek. The prince’s reaction to the touch is instant, closing his eyes and humming as he leans into it, its warmth welcoming and comforting.

“You didn’t have to do anything, Yifan. It’s not that important,” the prince opens his eyes again, his sapphire and gold orbs looking a little bit sad, making Yixing feel a bit guilty for not appreciating the prince’s wants to make such an effort.

“It is important,” Yifan squeezes Yixing’s hand, “it’s to commemorate a day someone as beautiful as you was born.”

“Yifan,” the blush on Yixing’s cheeks intensifies as the elder’s eyes seem to look deeper into him, reaching as far as his soul.

“My apologies,” the prince says, looking at the Serenliebes swaying to the rhythm the winds set for them. Yixing is mesmerized by how the sparkling flowers make the elder’s eyes look even more breathtaking than they already are, “for this is all I can do for you at the moment.”

Yixing shakes his head, hand moving a bit lower to place his thumb on the elder’s lips just like how Yifan does when he wants to shush the scientist. The royal closes his eyes once more, puckering his lips slightly to kiss Yixing’s thumb.

“It’s more than enough,” Yixing says honestly, eyes filling with tears of joy for the elder’s show of affection, “it’s the best gift I’ve ever received.” He looks towards the Serenliebes, the way they sparkle reflecting in his eyes. “They’re wonderful,” he turns his attention towards Yifan once more, “You’re wonderful.”

“And you are,” Yifan pulls Yixing close, cradling the younger’s hand on his cheek as he leans down. He noses on the younger’s cheek before tracing the tip of his nose against Yixing’s, “even more so.”

Yifan’s large hands stop the objecting shake of Yixing’s head as he takes the younger’s lips in between his. Their movements are nothing rushed like the kisses they share before Yixing’s lessons or when the younger walks the prince to his cerbyd before he goes to Sonnenstadt to take care of a few matters. Everything is slow and they can feel the fluttering of each other’s eyes as their eyelashes rake against one another. The sounds of their lips smacking are the only noise mixing with the ones the breeze around them produces.

The prince lowers his hands down Yixing’s neck, one of them going down to wrap an arm around the younger’s waist, effectively pulling him closer to Yifan. The scientist expects the tongue poking at his lips and easily opens up for the elder, tip toeing so the royal doesn’t have to lean down so much. His hands grip the front of Yifan’s cloak, one of them coming up to disappear underneath the elder’s silver hair and settle on the prince’s nape. He threads his fingers up and massages the taller’s scalp encouragingly, pushing Yifan’s head down towards him even more to deepen their kiss.

Yixing feels nothing but Yifan’s tongue twisting with his, the prince’s hand caressing his sensitive neck, pulling moans out of him that are quickly swallowed by the elder’s mouth. He drowns in the simple act of love, wishing for time to stop and for them to stay there, in the middle of the forest where the Serenliebes sparkle and dance to celebrate their union.

The prince pulls away, a bit reluctant as he litters kisses all over Yixing’s face. The younger keeps his eyes closed for a second, pulling Yifan down with both of his arms around the elder’s neck to get another kiss. Yifan indulges him and makes him lose his breath again, his moans coaxing the prince to do more. And to do more is just what he is thinking of doing.

Yifan successfully pulls away, keeping a good distance from Yixing’s pouting lips only to give in by giving him a chaste kiss. He looks into the younger’s eyes again, the way the moon makes them glow silver has Yifan swearing to protect such beauty. He swipes away the saliva that escaped Yixing’s lips during their little exchange of kisses and tells the younger, “Let’s go home.”

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

The ride back to the palace is even more nerve-wracking, the silence uninterrupted throughout the usual twenty-minute flight. Yixing’s hand is still encased in Yifan’s, their palms both sweaty but neither of them willing to lose their physical connection. The scientist doesn’t even get to savor the ride and look at the landscape like he usually does, his mind filled with thoughts of being with Yifan, the meaning of their physical contact and the excitement coursing through his veins. He hopes the prince feels the same way, feels the same exhilaration that is currently taking over his body.

Yifan immediately steps down from the vehicle once they land beside the palace, near the garage, Yixing following behind just as quickly as their hands are still connected. The prince casts a hasty, _“Peidiwch â tharfu ni,”_ to the servants waiting by the entrance of his chambers. Upon hearing the elder’s command, the scientist chews on his lip, his studies of the Llwyth language is already enough for him to understand what the prince said. It makes him quite embarrassed when the royal’s people bow meekly and close the heavy double doors after the heir’s instructions. Yixing hides his face even if it is just him and Yifan walking through the halls of the prince’s chambers. The other keeps squeezing his hand every now and then while they take the stairs, as if sending a message with each touch.

Yixing knows the direction they are taking is leading them to the prince’s room but before they can turn left, he abruptly stops their movements, startling Yifan as he is pulled back.

The royal looks behind to find the human worrying his bottom lip once more. He slowly takes the few steps to be in front of Yixing, leaning down until there is nothing but a wisp of air separating their faces. The younger closes his eyes as an immediate reaction, hearing the rustling of the prince’s clothing as he lifts a hand to Yixing’s face, the human feeling the points burn where Yifan touches him, shed and burn once more when the elder’s finger passes by them again.

“I understand if you don’t want to,” Yifan whispers, his lips breathing the words onto Yixing’s cheekbones. The younger’s head snaps up, almost bumping against the prince’s nose before he vigorously shakes it, bowing it down again to avoid Yifan’s gaze.

“C-can we go to my room?” Yixing mumbles when the elder does nothing but rub a soothing thumb over his cheekbone, “I’d feel more comfortable there.”

“Of course,” Yifan leads Yixing to the younger’s room, not hurrying him and patiently falling in step with the scientist. The prince doesn’t open the door either, waiting for Yixing to welcome him to his small space before stepping into the room. He also lets the scientist be the one to close the door, giving him other things to think about and enough time to calm down before doing anything or deciding not to do it in the end.

The prince turns around when he realizes that Yixing is frozen by the door. He walks back to the human, taking both of Yixing’s hands, cold and clammy, in between his. Yifan releases one of them to lift the other’s face by the chin but Yixing averts his gaze and looks at the table beside his bed instead.

Bothered by the younger’s reaction, Yifan voices out his thoughts and conveying to the other that he isn’t being forced, that he has a choice, “You can just tell me if you don’t want to do it–”

Before the prince can finish though, Yixing interrupts him, “I want to.” His loud voice startles both the royal and himself. He mumbles an apology for the sudden outburst which the elder quickly extinguishes.

“Can I kiss you then?” To answer the prince’s question, Yixing closes his eyes and nods, making Yifan smile a little before lovingly placing kisses all over the other’s face, not missing a spot, no matter how small. He hears Yixing laugh a little at his actions, hands covering what they can of the elder’s as he is being showered with affection. The pair of lips he was waiting for finally connect with his after succeeding in making him feel relaxed, his whole body melting in Yifan’s hold as their mouths move with no haste, as if the prince is soothing him by kissing him. It works.

Yixing loosens his hands from where they covering Yifan’s, sliding them down the royal’s arms before squeezing the other’s biceps. This signal doesn’t change anything about the rhythm of their kissing, it is still slow and affectionate, the prince’s lips gliding with Yixing’s softly. The younger then snakes his hands from Yifan’s arms up to the prince’s nape. He massages the elder’s muscles before wrapping his arms around Yifan’s neck, tiptoeing and pulling the prince down.

Yifan makes a startled noise, hands jumping from Yixing’s cheeks to the younger’s hips, gripping them to avoid falling over the other. When the scientist feels Yifan pull away slightly, he draws him down again, afraid that if they part he will lose the confidence he doesn’t usually have in relationships. He doesn’t want to be the one to hinder the progress of theirs.

But when Yifan successfully subtracts himself from the younger, Yixing removes his arms he had placed around the prince’s neck and takes a steps back. He looks down in embarrassment for his actions, afraid that he has done something the elder did not want or expect from him, that his actions have disgusted Yifan.

“I thought you might want to take it slow,” the elder takes a step forward, his voice just above a whisper as he leans down and raises Yixing’s head by the chin, planting his forehead against the younger’s, “and I didn’t want you to feel like I’m rushing you.” The scientist doesn’t say anything, he just bites his bottom lip, “But I will try to match the pace you want.”

Yixing’s eyes widen, meeting the elder’s own, the fire in his sapphire and golden pair still aflame. The younger nods and pushes his forehead against Yifan’s, then leanshis head up to touch his lips against the prince’s, picking up where they left off once more; hopefully without interruptions this time.

Yifan pushes Yixing against the door, his large hands pinning the younger against it by the hips. The scientist opens his mouth voluntarily, inviting the elder in and the prince’s tongue flicks against the other’s, starting a dance far faster than the swaying they have been doing previously. The younger’s hands find their way to Yifan’s cloak, pulling at the knot the prince has created to keep it in its place. The fabric unravels and pools below them, the elder mimicking Yixing’s actions and letting the younger’s cloak join his own on the floor. The younger’s fingers work slowly on the prince’s clothes, taking his time in unbuttoning Yifan’s top while their lips move and tongues twist.

Yifan’s tongue licks out a moan from Yixing as the younger pushes the royal’s clothes off his shoulders. The moan is followed by another when the prince places one hand onto Yixing’s cheek while the other pulls on the knot of the smaller’s robes. Once the sash falls to the floor, the prince’s hand pushes the fabric to the side so he can have skin to skin contact with the younger, who has balled his hands into fists and placed them on the elder’s hips where Yifan’s pants start, the fabric of his trousers in the way. Wanting the younger’s warm palms on his body, the prince uses his other hand to move Yixing’s hands to his chest, placing one directly over his heart.

Feeling Yifan’s skin underneath his fingertips has Yixing’s brain short-circuit, the elder’s racing heartbeat doing nothing but fuel his excitement. He presses his palms to the elder’s chest, gliding them up and down as Yifan pushes at the fabric of his robes only enough to show more skin but not reveal everything. The scientist moves his hands around firm muscles, his fingertips his guide as his eyes are closed. He tries to create a picture from the sensations his hands are supplying; a painting of the elder’s body that he has never seen before, only imagined him to have beneath his clothes. Yixing opens his eyes when the prince pulls away from his lips, giving them a peck, then kissing his chin before moving to his neck. He is only allowed a split second to see Yifan’s body, the pale skin that seems to be glowing on its own, the rippling of muscles when he moves and the layer of sweat their exchange has wrung out of the prince already.

A loud breathy moan from Yixing causes the elder to push a set of buttons placed beside the door so that the domes and windows that are usually open will close to give them privacy, their own tiny bubble. Yifan has known about the younger’s sensitivity since their first kiss, Yixing embarrassingly admitting that even the prince’s touches to the area always has him suppressing a violent shudder. The elder uses it to his advantage, licking and sucking on the pale column as his hands acquaint themselves with Yixing’s body, following the curve of the other’s waist, the arch of his back and the swell of his ass. The little squeeze the elder gives the scientist’s ass has Yixing squeaking and clawing at the elder’s arms. But when the prince pushes the younger against the door with his body, his thigh rubbing against Yixing’s crotch, the scientist almost screams. If not for the hand flying to his mouth, there is a high probability that the residents of the neighboring chambers could have heard him.

 _“Yi-Yifan…”_ Yixing’s voice is smaller than usual, shyer than before but the meaning behind the single word has the elder’s ears prick up. There is an underlying tone to it, a double meaning to his name being said in such a manner that has his lips moving faster as he pulls them both to the younger’s bed. He slowly sits down before Yixing, making sure the younger is standing between his legs. The prince’s hands slide up and down the other’s trembling thighs as his lips litter kisses all over the porcelain of the scientist’s chest. His attention is caught by the younger’s nipples, erect against Yixing’s gooseflesh skin. When he noses at the nubs, the younger’s fingernails claw into his shoulders, but he sees this as a reward rather than a punishment as Yixing breathes out a sigh afterwards, pushing his chest towards Yifan at the same time. It’s as if he’s been relieved of something he has been wanting to be done to him. The elder lets his tongue touch the bud, a dark shade of pink, as his hands keep squeezing and roaming all over Yixing’s body, stimulating every possible nerve ending. Soon, unashamed moans fill the air as Yifan’s hand rests close to the younger’s crotch, his thumb lazily drawing patterns close to where the other’s manhood is straining against his pants.

Yixing, with one of his hands on Yifan’s shoulder while the other is pushing and pulling the elder’s hair, feels the need to pleasure the prince as well. Thankfully, according to his lessons, the Llwyth people have the same body types as humans, only that almost everything is longer and their eyes are of different colours. He always used this knowledge to remind himself that he will be able to satisfy the prince if need be without having to doubt himself with what he is doing. And now is the time.

The younger moves his lower body closer, placing his knee in between Yifan’s opened legs before nudging his kneecap against the elder’s groin. He’s slightly surprised at how hard the prince is, considering the fact that all they’ve been doing is kissing, the only person on the receiving end has been him and Yixing has barely touched the elder in return. The scientist is happy, nonetheless, because it means that just a bit of his actions can arouse the prince so much. He hears Yifan hum appreciatively against his stomach, having moved there after making sure that both of Yixing’s nipples are given the proper attention. The prince, as he’s done to other parts of the younger’s upper body, licks and leaves hickeys on the small hills across Yixing’s stomach, the muscles quivering under his lips. Once he reaches the waistband of Yixing’s trousers, he looks up to the younger, eyes asking for permission. Instead of giving him a verbal reply, Yixing places both of the prince’s hands over his hipbones where the waistband of his bottoms are resting, before nodding to Yifan.

Slowly, the prince pulls down the clothing, the loss of contact between his groin and Yixing’s knee momentarily forgotten as he pushes down the younger’s pants completely.

A black pair of briefs is the only piece of clothing covering Yixing and the thought makes the flush on his body intensify. But the need to have Yifan take him overthrows the feeling of shame as he waits for the prince to stop thumbing at the wet patch forming on the fabric where the tip of his cock is. He bites on his lip to restrain the sounds of pleasure coming from his mouth and the elder seems to take pity on his already bruised lips and finally stops teasing the other to pull down Yixing’s briefs. The cool air that kisses his half-hard cock makes the younger hiss; the sound interrupted by a moan when the elder’s hand finally wraps itself around his cock. He barely supports himself by placing his hands back on Yifan’s shoulders, his nails digging crescents in the prince’s skin upon feeling the fingers squeeze his manhood. He throws his head back and drowns in the pleasure, liking how different it feels to have the prince’s large hand around his member compared to his own. The scientist abruptly stops the up and down movement of the prince’s hand, albeit reluctantly because the elder is really making him feel good, and tells the royal to wait for him as he goes into the bathroom. Yifan is left puzzled but Yixing returns just as quickly as he disappeared bringing a bottle with him.

“We’ll need this,” Yixing brandishes a bottle of lotion to Yifan, the elder looking more confused than any moment Yixing’s ever seen him. The scientist has also learned during his lessons that the men of Llwyth self-lubricate when they are going to be penetrated, the other thing that separates them from human males.

“Y-you see, we’re different down there. We’re not alike,” Yixing stops himself from further embarrassing himself and to gather his thoughts, “I can’t self-lubricate like you. S-so I need this.” He explains this carefully to the elder, showing the bottle once more and stammering due to the sensitivity of the topic but the prince seems to understand by the end of his explanation. The royal nods and waits for Yixing to get to the bed, the younger kneeling at the edge to help Yifan get rid of his trousers. The younger’s eyes pop out of their sockets once the prince pulls down the last piece of his clothing, as the Llwyth people do not wear undergarments. He gulps as he lies flat on the bed, it is true that the Llwyth people are _longer_ , in terms of _everything._

Yixing eyes the elder’s manhood, half-erect as the prince crawls his way to the younger. He gulps once more when he feels the heated flesh make contact and rub against his thigh, the elder groaning at the friction.

“Tell me what to do,” Yifan whispers against his ear, nosing against the back of it before making his way down the other’s torso, kissing the younger’s body until he is able to kneel in between Yixing’s legs. The elder spreads them to accommodate his body and give himself a better view of the younger’s ass. Seeing how the scientist is embarrassed, the habit of biting his lip accompanied by throwing his arms over his face to hide it, has Yifan leaning down and pulling them away.

“Why are you so ashamed?” Yixing doesn’t even make eye contact with him, preferring to look at the moon, the cosmos lighting their figures in a silvery light. Yifan guides Yixing’s face to him with his fingertips and once the prince has his attention, the elder whispers against his lips, “You’re the most beautiful being I’ve ever met. I want to see your face properly when we make love.”

This only makes the colour spread down Yixing’s chest, the blood rushing south as the prince starts kissing down his torso once more. When Yifan pulls away with a smile, Yixing notices the colour of his eyes intensify, seemingly swirling and becoming hypnotizing, the more he looks at them. He is mesmerized by it and wants to see more - to see how passionate the prince will be with him. As he clenches on to the bed sheets, he instructs the elder to coat his fingers with copious amounts of the lubricating agent, the prince shows him when he’s done to see if it is enough. Once satisfied with the amount of lotion, Yixing instructs Yifan to slowly push one finger in. He hasn’t been able to touch himself since they landed in Tuhwntmae’rsêr and with how thick the elder’s fingers are, the burn that usually accompanies penetration becomes doubled, his face scrunching up because of the intrusion. The prince, alarmed by the pain sketched on the younger’s face, slides his finger out causing Yixing to gasp at the sudden pull out.

“S-sorry,” Yifan blurts out, a thumb soothing the younger’s entrance, “are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Yixing reassures the prince, “it’s just been a while. It might take some getting used to.” Yifan nods and wipes away the small amount of lotion left when he pulled out, lowering his head as if to inspect but then he prods his tongue against Yixing’s puckered entrance. The younger lets out a breathy moan but complains and tells the prince that there is no need to do such a thing, “You’re a prince, you shouldn’t be doing that.”

“I am a prince,” Yifan pokes his head out to look at Yixing, “so I can do whatever I want to pleasure my love.” The protests eventually die in the younger’s throat to make way for pleasured sounds that the prince has never heard before; urging him to move his tongue faster and to focus on the wrinkled rim of the muscle.

Once he feels Yixing relax and soften, he pulls his tongue away in favor of pushing his index finger in once more, slower this time. Instead of a pained expression, the younger seems to be enjoying it, eyes closed, hands clenched on the bed sheets as he digs his head into the pillow. The prince thrusts his finger in and out without haste, allowing the other to get used to the size of his appendage. Yifan adds the second digit when Yixing tells him he’s ready for it, nodding as he slides his middle finger in, following the younger’s instructions to open and close his two fingers to create a scissor-like motion. He repeats this, pulling his fingers in and out and scissoring Yixing open, watching the tiny hole adjust and stretch to accommodate his digits, until the younger asks him for the third finger.

The prince hesitates for a second, afraid that he will hurt his beloved once more. But when he looks down and sees his cock leaking and curving against his stomach, he realizes that if he doesn’t stretch Yixing well, it will be more painful and the other will not enjoy the act of love they will both share. With his eyes trained to the younger’s face, he adds the last finger, slowly sliding it beside the first two. The slight scrunch of Yixing’s face has him freezing in place and waiting for the younger to give him the sign that he can move his fingers. As he waits, the prince pulls the other’s right knee up, kissing it front and back to distract him. When Yixing mouths _move,_ Yifan pushes the remaining inches of his fingers in until they disappear completely inside the younger’s ass, gulping at how great the tightness around his digits will feel once it is surrounding his own manhood.

 _“It’s…mmnnnn…”_ Yixing struggles to finish his sentence as Yifan’s fingers barely brush his prostate after telling him to curl them when he pulls out. Seeing as his lover is having a hard time speaking, the elder slows down and waits for the other to finish speaking, _“…mmngghh…okay…okay now…put it in…now…”_ Yifan nods, he himself is unsure until when he can contain himself, slowly removing his fingers. The prince’s arousal spikes up as he watches Yixing’s hole greedily clench on air due to the loss, the small whine the other releases along with it doing nothing but fuel his need to be hugged by that tightness.

The prince wastes no time and pours the lotion over his manhood as well, making sure there is enough for it to slide into the other’s hole without problems. He looks towards Yixing, the sheen of sweat combined with the light of the moon makes him glow ethereally, catching Yifan’s breath and keeping it. Yixing’s legs are spread wide on both of the prince’s sides, his pink puckered hole invitingly fluttering under Yifan’s gaze.

“Yifan…” The scientist calls out to the elder, lifting a trembling arm up and closing his legs, “stop staring.”

Despite the younger’s words, the prince can’t stop his eyes from raking up and down Yixing’s figure, the sweat beading his porcelain skin making him look like a sparkling doll. Yifan leans forward and takes the younger’s hand.

After kissing the other’s hand, the prince whispers against the back of it, “I can’t stop my eyes if they are attracted to look at something beautiful.” Yixing can’t reply as Yifan takes him by surprise, finally pushing into him. The prince is mesmerized by the being beneath him, the heat that surrounds him instantly warming him up and making him want more. He keeps one eye slightly open to assure that the younger is not in pain.

Fortunately, the initial gasp Yixing let out from the penetration morphed into heavy pants mixed with words of encouragement as Yifan pushes all the way in. The elder doesn’t rush, keeping Yixing’s hand within his hold to kiss, leaning down slowly as the younger engulfs him whole; their bodies seamlessly joining and becoming one.

Once Yifan is completely inside the other, his front touching Yixing’s, he cranes his head lower to kiss the younger, placing the hand he is holding to his nape. He slides his hand down Yixing’s arm as he kisses the scientist, distracting him from the stinging pain of having Yifan in his ass. The younger seems to appreciate it, tilting his face up and pulling the royal’s head down whenever Yifan stops kissing him. The prince smiles against his lips every now and then, liking how Yixing suddenly turned eager after being penetrated.

 _“Yifan, please,”_ the prince hears Yixing whispering to his ears as the younger’s hands slide down to the royal’s ass, squeezing his rear to give him the hint to move if the other’s words are not enough. Yifan is obedient and eager to please his lover. He kisses down from the crown of Yixing’s head while he slowly pulls out, reaching the younger’s collarbones once only the tip of his member is inside the other. Yifan moves back in just as slowly as he dragged his manhood out, controlling his pace so as not to put the younger in any kind of pain.

Yixing’s strained expression gradually changes, his face pulling to form different erotic expressions that have the prince groaning, the sight so unlike his beloved that it urges him to see more of it. As Yifan increases his pace, they easily fall into an endless pit of pleasure, slaking their desire for contact that kissing can never satisfy; lips meet in sloppy kisses, teeth clashing, tongues flicking, hands finding purchase on the other’s sweat-slicked body while their hips dance and match each other’s movements fluidly.

Yixing has never done this before, never been touched this way before, never been made feel loved this way before. It felt daunting for him before, the thought of being with someone making him nervous. But he’s not afraid anymore, not when it’s Yifan who’s kissing his lips and whose hands are worshipping his body like it’s made of gold. The points that Yifan’s hands touch, the places his lips kiss, all burn like a hearth that keeps him comfortable, the warmth burying itself into Yixing and pulling him further to the heat. He can feel Yifan’s lower abdomen rubbing against his cock, the friction so rough yet so sweet that it makes him arch closer to get more of it. Unfortunately, Yifan pulls away, placing both hands on the sides of Yixing’s head to help himself lean back.

The prince moves his hands to Yixing’s legs afterwards, lifting them up and showing him where he and the scientist are connected. The view he sees making the temperature rise even higher, making his body grow hotter. The younger gasps a little bit from the sudden movement, a long drawn out moan replacing it when Yifan pulls out. The royal anchors his hands onto the back of Yixing’s knees, the younger’s soles flattening themselves on his chest; a view that makes the prince groan as it shows him everything of his lover.

“Haaa…” Yifan lets out as he looks down to watch the way Yixing’s ass swallows his shaft, the sensual display not allowing him to peel his eyes off of it. He contributes to the sounds filling the air, overlapping with the noises the younger produces as he continues to hammer his way into Yixing.

 _“F-faster…Faster…Yi…Fan…”_ The sounds Yixing makes riles the elder up but his request is the thing that pushes the prince to the edge, giving in to the younger’s demand, moving his hips at a faster rate with harsher thrusts. He watches how Yixing’s hands clench onto the edges of the pillow beneath him, hears the sound of skin slapping against skin, the bed creaking and the headboard hitting the wall behind it.

“Sss…aaaaahhh…” Yifan throws his head back as he pistons into Yixing, the younger’s hole clenching and unclenching excitedly around him the harder he thrusts and the faster he moves, the squelching sound of the rubbing of his shaft and Yixing’s walls a delicious noise to his ears.

 _“Yifan, Yifan, Yifan,”_ Yixing’s voice goes up a pitch higher with every word as if he is trying to beat himself, hands trying but failing to reach for his cock, the heated flesh burning for attention and scalding over his stomach. However, even before he can grab a hold of his member, the elder angles his own to hit his prostate. The feeling of the bundle of nerves being massaged by the crown of the prince’s cock makes his breath hitch, his eyes open wide with tears streaming down them and his back arching away from the mattress. He feels a bit of his cum coming out of the tip of his cock and he feels slightly relieved. Yifan seems to notice this and keeps the angle of his thrusts, reveling in the way Yixing’s body reacts.

It doesn’t take long. With sweat dripping down their bodies and sounds of pleasure oozing from their mouths, they cum with stuttering moans of each other’s name, heavy panting quickly followed by it as they continue to make a mess of each other. It is Yixing who gets off first, white ropes of cum mixing with the sweat on his stomach. His eyes roll to the back of his head as the wave of pleasure creates a rippling effect over his body, leaving his mouth hanging agape, his head leaving an impression on his pillow and his toes curling as his whole body trembles. When Yifan reaches his peak, his hips stutter in their movement, erratic as he pumps himself empty with the younger’s opening, painting Yixing’s walls warm and white. He coats his manhood with his own cum with every thrust, doubling the warmth that is already consuming every bit of his sanity. Their groans and moans slowly die down as Yifan keeps moving his hips, languid and just enough to ride out their orgasms.

 

They lie on the bed, exhausted but sated, arms wrapped around the other, legs tangled with each other’s as the light of the moon bathes their sweaty bodies with a silver glow. Yifan buries his face into Yixing’s messy hair, sniffing the refreshing scent of the shampoo the scientist has created from the mixed nectar of the flowers from the garden. The prince kisses the crown of Yixing’s head, nosing his scalp before leaving another kiss on top of the younger’s head. Yixing, on the other hand, closes his eyes and hums every time he feels the elder’s lips. In turn, the younger also sprinkles his own litter of kisses across Yifan’s chest and neck, licking the elder’s collarbones and sucking the skin in between them as he wasn’t able to do so earlier. He paints the elder’s chest with red and purple bruises as what the prince has done to him.

“Yifan?” Yixing returns to his perch in the middle of Yifan’s chest once he’s satisfied with the artwork that his lips have created on the other’s body, his index finger drawing patterns on the prince’s pectorals.

“Hmm?” The elder hums as he splays his hand on Yixing’s back before mirroring the younger’s actions by tracing up and down the other’s spine with his middle finger, leaving gooseflesh in its wake and a shudder that Yixing barely suppresses.

“Since I gave you a name,” Yixing rolls onto his stomach, supporting himself on his elbow with his chin propped on his open palms, “can you give me one too?”

The prince is reminded of the night Yixing gave him the name the younger calls him by, the eyes of the scientist having sparkled genuinely when he said the meaning behind it. Yifan looks at Yixing’s eyes and sees once more how they shine bright with the moon’s light reflecting from them, his warm brown orbs disappearing behind the ring of silver. It reminds the prince of the stars twinkling in the night, their forms emitting light that barely reflects their true colour; the brightest of them serving as a guide, leading people to the right destination.

The prince reaches one hand up to Yixing’s face, the other pressed to the younger’s lower back. He traces his pointer finger against the younger’s face, following the borders of the shadows playing across the porcelain skin. The scientist hums, eyes fluttering shut at the light touch outlining his face. Yifan raises his hand higher and cards his finger’s through Yixing’s hair, combing the matted strands to set them apart. The human’s eyes open once more, big and bright, one word forcing its way out the prince’s lips upon the sight.

_“Tala.”_

Yixing tilts his head to the side in curiosity, curling his fingers into his palm before voicing out his inquiry to Yifan, “And that means?”

“The brightest star,” the younger’s eyes widen, slowly shrinking back to their normal size as a shy smile places itself on his lips. “As you said you’ve given me a fitting name, I should do the same.” Yixing can’t deny, with how red his cheeks are, that he is blushing. The prince always seems to know what to say to make him incapable of speaking, mouth opening and closing with no words leaving.

Yifan, as he wants to be Yixing’s rain, wants the younger to be his _tala_ , the one who he needs to look for whenever he seems to have lost his way. The one who will light his way to a place he calls home, where everything is warm and comforting, where all he needs to be is himself, not a prince and a ruler. He wishes Yixing will grant him that wish, to satisfy that want. Without breaking contact from those big round stars that are Yixing’s eyes, the prince places his hand on the younger’s cheek again, thumbing at the other’s cheekbone. When the younger smiles at him brighter than any star, Yifan understands through the way Yixing looks at him that the other has granted this wish. If that isn’t enough proof, the younger says with promise, “I’ll do my best to be your brightest star.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ word/phrase/sentence (language): meaning]
> 
>  
> 
> Tala (Filipino): bright star/the brightest star; also referring to the goddess of the stars in Philippine mythology 
> 
>  
> 
> Weiße Kugel (G): White ball
> 
> Wartet hier auf uns (G): Wait for us here
> 
> Peidiwch â tharfu ni (W): Do not disturb us


	5. Związek

Yixing wakes up one day with something cold pressing to the back of his neck. When he turns around he realizes that it is Yifan’s nose. The royal’s face is so relaxed, devoid of any emotion and both his lips and eyes are closed.

Ever since their first night together, Yixing has been frequenting the elder’s room. Sometimes being pulled towards the prince’s room after their visit to the garden, sometimes right after dinner which they now share with the rest of the royal family. He smiles upon seeing the heir’s face up close, turning his body around to be able to run his index finger along the outline of Yifan’s face, light enough not to wake him. The elder suddenly scrunches his nose and Yixing stops, afraid he will wake the prince up if he continues. But even though he ceases his caresses, the prince still wakes up because of the alarm blaring on his side of the bed.

The elder removes the arm he had draped over Yixing’s waist and stretches it out to make the annoying sound stop. He places his arm around the scientist again and pulls the other close, making Yixing giggle because the prince returns to sleep just like that.

Feeling guilty that Yifan is skipping out on his duties to sleep next to him, the human eventually shakes the prince awake. When the elder whines about wanting to stay in bed for longer, beside the scientist, Yixing blushes and pushes the elder more vigorously to effectively rouse him. The elder groans and curls in on himself, something that Yixing never thought he’d see from the always stern prince.

Eventually, he is able to successfully pull the royal out of bed and push him into the bathroom to prepare for the day. They share a meal before the elder sets out for his usual early hour visit to Sonnenstadt, returning to Dinas Hynafol after two hours to do most of his work there. While the prince is busy with his duties, Yixing continues with his lessons and helps his crew during his breaks to quicken the speed of their repairs.

Days after, in between his history and language lessons, Yixing visits the workroom only to find the Chariot missing and his crew along with it. In panic, the scientist runs out of the palace, catching Lu Han’s attention. The royal healer follows him, his pace unhurried but attentively following the human. When he finds the scientist moving from one corner of the open space surrounding the palace to the other, he stops him.

“Yixing,” Lu Han, tired of following the human with his eyes, calls his attention, thankful when the other stops his running around the place instantly.

“Lu Han,” Yixing walks towards him, anxiety visible in his brown orbs, “have you seen my crew? They’re not in the workroom and they’re usually there at this hour.” The human looks at the communication device to check the time, “Our vehicle isn’t there either, what if they’ve left without letting me know?”

“Yixing,” Lu Han places his hands on the human’s arms, in hopes of putting a stop to his frenzied state, “Stop panicking, they might have just gone around to try if the vehicle is properly working now. You know they wouldn’t go without telling you.”

Without thinking twice, Yixing looks up at the healer with a pleading look, “Can you help me look for them?”

“Don’t you have lessons at this time?” Lu Han raises one perfectly shaped eyebrow but the scientist pouts and looks close to tearing up. “At least ask permission from your tutor first before we leave.”

Yixing frantically dials for his language tutor’s communication device, asking immediately if he can skip the next hour to look for his crew. Thankfully, his tutor is understanding and lets him off after telling him that he will leave a few worksheets in the scientist’s study for him to do by the next day.

 

Lu Han flies his cerbyd low, just high enough not to scratch against the rocky formations below so that they can easily spot the Chariot. They haven’t even gotten far from the borders of the city when they find the Chariot and the crew, out with their equipment. The healer lands them near the group of humans and Yixing tries his best to hide his excitement over finding them, his whole body still sweating because he crazily ran around the place looking for them in the fear of not seeing them leave.

“I was afraid you guys left already,” he sighs in relief when he approaches the team.

“Are you kidding?” Jongdae looks at Yixing, a little stumped at the idea that the other could think of them leaving him behind without even saying goodbye.

“We just wanted to test drive the vehicle and see if we did the repairs well.” Minseok cuts in, sensing the engineer’s mood, “Need to make sure that nothing falls apart before we take it on the journey back home,” he explains as Kyungsoo and Baekhyun stands from where they have been crouching on the ground.

“What are you doing?” Lu Han directs his question to Kyungsoo who is holding a test tube of sand and another with a shard of rock inside it, noticing Baekhyun who has a camera standing beside the wide-eyed human.

“We need to collect specimen,” the junior scientist answers, placing the test tubes inside the equipment box to keep it safe.

“What for?” The royal healer inquires, “You may have forgotten but you are not allowed to return to this planet once you leave.”

“The planets around Tuhwntmae’rsêr might be livable as well,” Kyungsoo answers hopefully and serenely but the royal chuckles, hiding his mouth behind his hand.

“I advise you to not even try,” Lu Han stands up to his full height, summoning a commanding presence that the crew wouldn’t have expected from the doe-eyed male, “the planets here in Himmelskörper,” the royal waves his hands around, pointing to planets in the sky that are visible from where they are, “are all inhabited, not just Tuhwntmae’rsêr. Also, they may not be as civilized and forgiving as the Llwyth.” The warning makes the crew look at each other, Yixing not having been completely aware of this either, eyes wide in surprise as he looks at Lu Han. “You may bring those specimens that you have taken back with you but only to study, and not to use for future intrusions into other planets.” He turns around and, with a quieter and sadder tone, continues, “If you can, please try looking for a planet in another area of the galaxy.” Then the royal walks away, quickly stepping into his vehicle, understanding that Yixing will stay even without the scientist telling him.

The crew watches the healer speed away towards the direction of the palace, only returning to their task once he is out of their sight. They pick up on where they left off, having quiet chatters about what Lu Han said regarding the planets surrounding Tuhwntmae’rsêr, deciding that it is important to keep the royal’s words as a future reminder. Yixing helps in collecting whatever they deem worthy to be brought back to Earth, no words exchanged in the process afterwards.

Once they’ve returned to the palace, they make final repairs to the Chariot, creating a metal bar opening to hopefully keep the equipment where they store it when they go through the portal once more.

“Wait, don’t you still need those?” Yixing asks when he sees Baekhyun and Jongdae place the boxes of equipment into the metal cage that he knows they will weld close to secure the boxes inside, hoping the metal barrier will be enough for them not to be either lost in the wormhole or left behind in Tuhwntmae’rsêr.

“We do,” Jongdae receives the boxes from Baekhyun before placing them into the cage, “when we return to Earth.”

Yixing doesn’t understand the rush in their steps at first, watching from the sidelines as the crew hauls all of the materials and equipment they’ve removed from the Chariot during the repairs back into the vehicle.

“HQ called us yesterday,” Minseok helps remove the confusion from the scientist’s face, “the gateway is ready and they’ll call us once it’s active.”

_Oh._

 

Right when Yixing closes the door to his room, a buzz of words rings in his ears, thoughts fill his mind as his crew's impending return to Earth reminds him of what it meansfor him to be left behind on the foreign planet. His knees are wobbly as he trudges to his bed, a hand supporting him as he finally sits on the edge of the mattress. For once, since Yixing's fate has been sealed, the scientist is questioning whether he really can stay on Tuhwntmae'rsêr. Knowing he will be the only human on the whole planet suddenly makes him feel lonely. Suddenly he realizes how it will take some time for him to be able to openly express himself without stumbling on his words, always afraid of getting laughed at for his mistakes. He fears it will be a repeat of the orphanage, where he thought he could find friends but left with none. Despite having the royal family who he can converse with comfortably, Yixing knows he will one day have to go out of the palace to seek others to exchange a few words with, for a different point of view, and it scares him to not know how these people will treat him.

Yixing turns his gaze towards the window, searching for the planet that he has called home since his birth, wondering if he is really willing to leave it and everything connected to it behind; his prestigious job, the many achievements, and the fame he will be able to garner with the success of his team’s inventions. He wonders if his decision to stay behind will have any impact on Earth and if he really is capable of extracting himself from the planet he spent all of his life on, growing and learning. The stars twinkle but don't give him answers, the inner conflict in his heart crashing like tidal waves to the shore. Even if he were to try to not think about these worries, he knows he wouldn’t be able to stop either way. They are far too powerful not to breach his defenses, making him contemplate how strong his resolution to stay on the unknown planet really is.

Unable to find the answers to the questions by himself, Yixing finds strength in his legs to go to Yifan's room, hoping that the elder's warmth will thaw the worries in his mind. He successfully reaches the royal's room to find the other already snoozing away in his bed, restoring energy for the next day. Stealthily, the scientist lifts the blanket and lies beside the elder. Yixing's head falls beside the prince's shoulder and his arm instantly drapes over the other's stomach as his eyes follow the rise and fall of his beloved's chest. The royal stirs and the younger is afraid of his reaction when he sees that Yixing snuck into his room, worried that the other might reject his uninvited presence. Howbeit, the elder smiles when his eyes catch a glimpse of the scientist, turning to his side to wrap an arm around the younger's waist, pulling him close until there is no distance separating them anymore.

"Sleep well, love," Yixing hears the prince whisper against his hair before leaving a kiss on the crown of his head, not even questioning why Yixing would slide into his bed in the middle of the night. It’s not as if his worries all disappear at once, the vague, lingering feeling of being afraid of remaining in a world that is largely unknown and unfamiliar to him still weighs him down. But the gesture strengthens his resolution and helps his troubled heart calm down. He exhales, the sound almost like a sigh as he snuggles closer to Yifan, finally relaxing. And it is that feeling that tells him that here, in Yifan's embrace, is where he can find the answer to his questions; that the prince himself is the right choice for Yixing.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Kyungsoo pulls Yixing aside before he disappears into Yifan’s chambers for the night, not knowing that the prince is waiting by the entrance to surprise his lover.

“Yixing, we can still sneak you out to go back with us,” Kyungsoo tells his senior, placing a hand on the elder’s shoulder before gripping it, “You don’t have to stay here all alone.”

Yifan, upon hearing this, hides even further behind the entrance doors, troubled whether he should listen for Yixing’s answer or not. The younger has never told him anything about not agreeing with his proposal, not even before they started a proper relationship.

“Don’t force yourself to stay here,” Kyungsoo continues, Yixing biting his bottom lip and being unable to answer what with how intense the younger’s eyes are looking at him, “I know you feel like you have a responsibility to keep us alive but it’s a responsibility that was _forced_ upon you, not one you voluntarily chose.”

 _“Yixing,”_ the junior scientist stresses his name again, “you’re still young, you still have a long, meaningful life to live on Earth, a lifetime to make a name for yourself and have your name written down in books for people to remember. You can _still_ escape _this_ life for that one.”

Yifan can’t hear any more of it, suddenly aware of the things that his future marriage subjects Yixing to that he never thought to consider before. Surprise forgotten, the prince walks to his room with hurried steps, missing the chance to hear what Yixing has to say.

“You don’t–”

“Kyungsoo,” the elder interrupts his junior, “it’s not a responsibility anymore.” The younger looks up at Yixing, shocked by the other’s answer, “He’s my world now. This is where I’m meant to be.”

 

Yixing finds his steps leading him to the prince’s room, the urge to see him overcoming his need for sleep. He knocks at the door and waits for Yifan to let him in. When he enters after hearing the royal’s voice allow him in, he finds the elder sitting near the window, the view below it being the garden that they frequent. A certain pull makes Yixing hasten his footsteps, arriving at the heir’s side within a second.

“The new flowers you’ve placed in the garden look beautiful from up here,” Yifan comments as he watches the rings of new colours from above. Yixing has been tending to the garden as well, bringing with him some flowers that they have discovered in the forest around _Tuch aus Diamanten_ whenever he visits the garden with the prince.

“I’m sure they look even more lovely up close,” Yixing smiles towards the prince, dimples and all, as he holds his hand out, nodding to the direction of the door and gesturing for the royal to take his hand. Yifan eventually does, unable to say no to his beloved. They leave the room hand-in-hand, the prince’s mind cluttered with doubts about Yixing’s intentions of staying.

Yixing is right about the lovely sight. They have extracted a few plants from the forest and the scientist has placed two of them, trees of the archway’s height, by the entrance of the garden, its flowers, yellow in colour, hanging above their heads once they pass through the gate. The garden, formerly reigned by Serenliebes, is now dotted by flowers of every colour and every kind, the scientist making sure that a certain kind is not planted only in a certain area and that the flowers are not crowded. But even with the new additions to the small garden, the glowing Serenliebes are still its main attraction.

They take their seat on the only bench in the middle of the garden, the chair surrounded by different flowers that Yixing has only just begun to study and has yet to give names to. Silence falls upon them once more as the younger looks around to appreciate his own work, the quiet something not unusual during their trips to the garden.

“Yixing,” the prince catches the other’s attention as the scientist touches the petals of the pink-coloured flowers beside them, the others in the same stem having differing colours of white and red, some having a mixture of all three colours and reminding Yixing of a strawberry flavoured candy that he used to love when he first stepped foot into the U.S. The scientist tilts his head to the side, wondering what the elder has to say, “You should go back to Earth.”

“What are you saying?” Yixing breathes out, bewildered by the other’s words. He squeezes Yifan’s hand, whose hold is loosening around his. The scientist is afraid that along with letting his hand go, the royal will completely let go and forget about him.

“Lu Han told me about your friends’ return to your planet.” Yifan doesn’t dare make contact with Yixing’s eyes, afraid that what he will see there in the brown orbs that reflect the light of the moon will make his resolve crumble and pull the younger into his chest, never letting him out of his sight and out of his hold.

“Yifan,” Yixing gulps, wondering if this is something that the elder has been thinking about and why he has never seen any signs of the prince’s internal conflict.

“You don’t have to feel obliged to stay here just because I said so,” Yifan tries to pry his hand from Yixing’s hold but the younger’s two hands are clamping down on it and if he’s being honest, he doesn’t really want to let go, “I’m giving you the freedom to leave.”

Shocked by the prince’s words, Yixing openly gapes at Yifan, unable to bring himself to say anything as the elder keeps his head turned away from him. He is worried that the prince thinks his reason for staying is still because of his responsibility towards his crew.

“What if I don’t want that freedom, Yifan?” Yixing sees the prince visibly stiffen, body straightening from where he is seated mere centimeters away from the younger, “What if I want to stay here and be with you?

“Yixing,” the elder breathes out, knowing the human might regret it one day, knowing he himself is making the younger stay for his own reasons, “I don’t want to clip your wings and keep you here for my own selfish intentions.”

 _It is true,_ Yifan thought, after processing the things he heard Kyungsoo say to coax Yixing to go back with them. There is still a long way to go for Yixing, there are still a lot of things for him to achieve, to explore and more things that he may want to try and do, not just for himself but for his kind. The prince doesn’t want to keep him caged here, with people who are not of his own kind and who he will never completely understand. He wants the younger to be able to have a choice for himself.

“What if I want you to be selfish?” Yixing removes his other hand covering Yifan’s much larger one and places it on the elder’s cheek, turning the prince’s head towards him. With a smile on his lips, Yixing asks, “What if I tell you that I love you?” There is obvious shock in the royal’s face, unable to process the words the younger is saying to him.

“I love you, Yifan,” the scientist tears up, always having thought that he would never say such a thing to anyone, never feel so deeply for someone that he is willing to leave everything behind for them, “I can’t be without you,” he continues honestly, feeling the prince’s hand tightening around his for once, “and I will never leave, even if you were to beg me to.”

 

“They said they’ll open the portal in the same location,” Jongdae reads the message Junmyeon sent to them, “hopefully we don’t have to look far from where we landed then.”

“We’ll help,” Yifan’s voice booms into the garage, the Chariot shining after the guards volunteered to help with making it regain its former sparkling glory, “Yixing will be with you so we can communicate when we’ve seen it.”

“Is this his way of telling you to come with us?” Baekhyun whispers to Yixing who is decked out in his usual robes compared to his crew who are already wearing their space suits. The engineer eyes the prince suspiciously as he turns to order his men around.

“No,” Yixing smiles, ushering Jongdae to sit in the front, where the scientist sat when they set off for this journey, “he’s more forward than that.”

“Lu Han said we have to stop by the front of the palace for a ritual,” Minseok says as the rest of the crew gets into the vehicle, Yixing being the last.

“Ah, that’s right, they want to send you off properly,” Yixing remembers Lu Han telling him after breakfast about the Llwyth ritual that they have only skimmed over during his lessons.

There is a congregation waiting for them by the front of the palace, a gem that they have never seen before erupting in the middle of the tallest tower in the palace where the king resides. It is probably the largest diamond Yixing has ever laid his eyes on, the jewel sparkling even in the middle of the night. They get down from the Chariot once more and receive gifts from the Llwyth people, then the ritual starts. It’s nothing more than the royal priest holding a few twigs with the smell of burning incense coming from them. He slaps the twigs on the shoulders, back and head of the crew, chanting a few ancient Llwyth words that Yixing still cannot understand despite his daily lessons.

The old man, his silvery hair flowing around him, stands aside once he is done and makes way for Yifan, Lu Han quickly following and standing beside the heir. The prince hands Minseok an object that resembles a test tube with no opening. Inside is a small gem that the humans have never seen before, it is floating in the middle and sparkling so bright that it can be compared to a star that fits into their palm.

“This is to remind you of the land beyond the stars.” Yifan gestures to the tube, smiling unusually before looking at Yixing who is still standing off side from where the crew is. The scientist walks towards him and looks at the others, remembering how giddy they all were when they first tried their space suits on.

Baekhyun walks towards the Chariot and retrieves an equipment box, bringing it with him and handing it towards the prince.

“As thanks for being so kind to us during our stay,” Yifan reluctantly accepts it, having to look at Yixing for confirmation that it is alright to take the present. He opens the box with the help of the scientist. Inside, seeds and plants of different kinds await them.

“We thought you might need them more than we do and we can always find seeds back on Earth,” Minseok explains the gift, tucking the gem into one of the pockets inside his space suit, so that it hopefully won’t get lost in transit.

“Thank you,” the prince bows and carefully hands the box to Jongin.

“Please take care of Yixing,” Kyungsoo mumbles, head down as he says his goodbye, “he is my mentor and my friend.”

The prince places a hand on the shoulder of the junior scientist and smiles fondly at him, “I will do my best not to hinder his growth as a scientist. I will make sure he isn’t unhappy.” The younger nods and looks at Yixing who is just smiling at him. Seeing as the elder seems resolved in staying, he doesn’t say more than his final goodbye. The crew uses one of the cameras in their equipment to take one last photo before they share an embrace and say their last goodbyes, a few tears shed on the way.

“Here,” Jongdae hands Yixing what the scientist can deduce is a communication device that will link him to Earth, “use it when you feel like you need to talk to us.” The elder smiles and pulls his crew into a hug once more before pushing them towards their vehicle.

“Have a safe journey,” Lu Han bows to them, followed by Sehun and the rest of the Llwyth people who have gathered in front of Dinas Hynafol.

They easily find the portal, the silvery blob shining by the opening of one of the caves near the gorge where they landed. Yixing leaves the Chariot with a final look to his friends.

“You really don’t want to go back with us?” Jongdae asks from where he is seated on the other side of Minseok, Yixing’s original position.

The scientist merely shakes his head and says, “I am happy here.”

Then he closes the door before stepping away from the vehicle, watching as the Chariot slowly enters the portal. He stands there until the crew has long disappeared into the wormhole to travel back to Earth. He doesn’t even notice that he has been standing there for quite some time until he feels Yifan’s hand on his waist.

“Do you regret it?” The prince asks as they both watch the portal, still shining silver. It will probably stay there for a few hours or days even, until the crew safely lands back on Earth.

Yixing thinks of it for a second but when he feels Yifan’s hand squeezing his waist to reassure him that the prince will accept whatever answer he gives, he knows that he would _regret_ not feeling those hands around him ever again, “Never.”

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

The palace is brimming with people, bringing gifts and well-wishes along with them. Flowers line the hallways, their smell enough to fill the whole palace and make it seem as if it is the middle of a meadow and not a building of limestone and marble.

The weeks prior to this day were a whirlwind for Yixing. Even without the need to, Yifan once again asked for his hand in marriage, in, where else, the garden. The prince had recently asked for a small pond to be placed in the middle of the area, to recreate the spring in the forest where they found the Serenliebes. There, in the midst of the sparkling flowers beside the water, with the moon as their witness, the royal tucked Yixing’s growing hair behind his ear and asked, “Will you spend the rest of eternity with me?”

It was unnecessary, to ask and to answer, but Yixing still did, nodding with tears in his eyes as he pulled Yifan close to seal the deal with a kiss.

Yixing’s room is filled with flowers from the people of Sonnenstadt, who culture and take care of them. He observes their colourful blossoms as servants come and go to place a set of clothes on the mannequin that has the same body size as Yixing. He has learned from his lessons about royal weddings in Tuhwntmae’rsêr, and the clothing is just one of the many highlights of it. Yixing and Yifan will be wearing matching white tunic-like robes with gilded linings, the whole length of fabric covered in designs that represent the Llwyth people and culture, said designs being in gold as well. The royal’s chosen colour for the sash is sapphire, the thin piece of fabric lined with gems of different shades of blue. The couple will each be wearing a headdress, the shape and design closely mimicking those of ancient Chinese headdresses worn by the royals on such occasions. It is secured to the wearer's head by a white ribbon tied underneath the chin. The top part is flat and white for both of the people wearing it, the difference lies in the colour of the curtain of gems and sheer fabric surrounding the head of the wearer. Yixing’s will be in sapphire as he is the one marrying into the royal family while Yifan’s will be gold.

The scientist has grown his hair out and it is already well past his shoulders. Usually he ties it or braids it but it will be let down during the ceremony today, as is Yifan’s. Looking in the mirror he combs down his hair as the servants place his shoes, the last of the accessories that Yixing has to wear for the wedding, and tries to figure out what it is that the prince saw in him.

His thoughts are broken when the prince enters the room, his voice booming as he asks the servants to go out for a while. Yixing stands up from where he is seated in front of his vanity to step closer to the prince.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Yixing hisses, his words losing venom towards the end as the elder caresses his face.

“Says who?” Yifan tilts his head with his eyes wide in wonder.

“Me.” Yixing tugs his sleeping robes closer to himself, the silk-like material hugging his body in a cloud of softness.

“Is this part of your human traditions?” The prince asks, placing his hand on Yixing’s neck instead as he waits for an answer. The younger nods, his face blushing as he refrains from moaning just because of the elder’s touch.

“Alright,” Yifan bends down to give Yixing a small peck on the lips before straightening up, “I’ll see you later, love.” The younger just hums as the royal walks away, instructing the servants to dress Yixing already.

Everything goes by fast and all Yixing has to do is stand and stretch out his arms when asked to do so or step into his shoes once he’s done. The servants also take care of his hair and place the headdress as the final piece. The scientist is adorned with accessories from head to toe, his robes long behind him with the holes of his sleeves stretching out to the floor. When the servants open the door, Sehun is waiting for him on the other side.

“Perfect!” The younger prince exclaims, “We can start now, your future husband is already at the throne room.” Yixing blushes at the royal’s words: _future husband._ He wonders what Yifan looks like with his own set of ceremony clothes as he only saw him with his usual daily clothes, minus his cloak, when the elder barged into Yixing’s room. Sehun assists him as they walk through the hallways and down the stairs, the servants making sure the human doesn’t step on the fabric of his clothes.

When they arrive at their destination, Yifan is already waiting on the other side of the entrance to the throne room, his face covered by beads made of gold and the rest of his head being surrounded by the same fabric Yixing’s is, only in a golden yellow colour. The mix of white and gold makes him look more regal than what he usually wears does and even without seeing his face, Yixing is already biting his lips at how gorgeous his future husband looks like, charming even with his face obscured.

Sehun finally steps away from him and stands between them, waiting for the guards to open the huge doors. The younger prince announces the arrival of the heir and his future husband, the crowd inside the throne room erupting in cheers upon hearing it. Once Sehun disappears, Yifan and Yixing await the cue of the music before meeting in the middle and walking side by side down the aisle towards the throne where the king, the queen and the royal priest await to bless their union.

The wide throne room is capable of holding a good amount of the population of Tuhwntmae’rsêr, the rest watching from outside Dinas Hynafol or in the comforts of their home. With Lu Han’s latest invention, the roof of the room is made to look like it is sunny inside, the sun slightly peeking through the clouds above them. Yixing is in awe as he’s only heard of it from the elder, the throne room closed for a few days as the inventor installed his newest piece.

Yifan reminds Yixing of the ceremony with a tug of his arm before stepping forward for the other to follow. They walk in the middle of the aisle with their hands pressed flat to their stomachs, the whole room watching in anticipation as it has been years since they’ve watched a ceremony as such, Yifan’s father having been married for a long time already. Yixing can see familiar faces in the crowd; children who he visits and plays with in the school located in Sonnenstadt during their breaks from classes, a few elderly people who always say their greetings to the prince’s partner whenever he passes by them and a few more. The length of the aisle makes it feel like they’ve been walking forever, thankfully the sun above them is just a projection and not the real thing as Yixing would have felt toasted due to the make of the clothes he is wearing.

The couple finally reaches the throne, the king and the queen sitting behind the royal priest who is standing in front of them. The priest starts talking about the history of the Llwyth community, his servants walking up to him to hand different materials and accessories that he either places around the couple or on either of the two or makes them hold.

He asks his servants to remove the individual sash around Yifan and Yixing before tying the two together around the couple as a symbolization of their union being tied together by the people surrounding them, by the Llwyth. The priest then asks his servants to part the curtain of gems covering the prince and the human’s faces, using a tie to hold them in place. The priest retrieves a red-coloured paint, dipping his right thumb in the small saucer before leaving circular marks on the prince’s forehead, the tip of his nose and the middle of his lips.

For Yixing, on the other hand, he uses a white-coloured paint, placing dots on the same areas as the royal’s. He makes them face each other and mumbles something as he holds his hands over the heads of the couple. The priest instructs them to make the marks align one by one, making sure the colours mix on either side. Yifan places his large hands around Yixing’s face and plants his forehead against the younger’s, moving forward only when the priest has deemed the mixture of their colours right. He rubs the tips of their noses together and being in a ceremony, Yixing has to suppress his giggles. When it is time for their lips to meet, they know that it is only supposed to be a peck, only enough to make the colours mix, but Yifan pulls Yixing close and openly kisses him, the crowd booming with cheers as the prince stakes his claim on the human, now his husband. The scientist is visibly surprised, the flush on his face spreading throughout his body as the royal kisses him once more.

“Tuhwntmae’rsêr! Cieszcie się i pobłogosławcie ten związek!” The audience cheers even louder at the announcement of the priest, watching with excitement as the prince kisses his groom once more.

“Cieszyć!”

 

When the ceremony is concluded, they continue the celebration with a lavish banquet prepared in the open areas of the palace, every citizen of Tuhwntmae’rsêr welcome to partake in the festivities. The citizens, in return, have prepared a lot of dancing and singing to gift to the newlywed couple and provide entertainment for everyone. The children have also prepared a gift of song for the couple, wishing them in the end to soon bear a child who they can play with. Yixing blushes once more but he blames it on the drinks that Yifan tells him are the Llwyth equivalent to the humans’ alcohol.

In the middle of the banquet, Yifan pulls Yixing away while everyone’s attention is on the pair of dancers performing in the area that’s serving as a mock stage. The younger blindly follows the prince to the garage where the royal’s vehicle is waiting for them. They share a few of their favorite happenings during the events of the day as their vehicle glides just above the rocky mountains. The prince holds one of Yixing’s hands as the other is on the steering wheel, only removing it once he has placed the flight on autopilot. With Yixing slightly inebriated, the younger has no idea where they are going and he can’t bring himself to look out the window because of all the alcohol he drank at the party.

The scientist giggles whenever the prince reaches out for him and tickles him, the autopilot allowing the royal to have both hands at his disposal while their vehicle cruises speedily at a safe altitude. It doesn’t surprise Yixing when he sees a few rays of sunlight and the sparkling sea below them. The edges of Smaragdwald are lit by the sparse sunlight and even if the scientist has accompanied the prince on his many visits to the forest, his breath always catches in his throat upon the sight of nature’s beauty.

They land at the usual place near the tower that Yixing knows usually has one or two people stationed there every night, but the place seems to be deserted right now. He doesn’t put much thought to it though, especially when the prince is pulling him deeper into the forest, to a place he knows perfectly well. The scientist, sometimes even without the royal, frequently visits the spring Yifan brought him to for his birthday. He has been going to the spring so much he can probably close his eyes, place a blindfold over them and find his way to it without getting lost. Due to the human’s numerous trips to the spring, the prince asked him to give a name to the particular small body of water.

“天空的眼泪,” Yixing said, and when the prince asked him what it meant, the younger looked up at Yifan and replied, “Tears of the Sky,” before he stared at the clouds above which were ready to move to the city of Mondstadt to pour their contents on to the normally dry land.

However, the usual moonlit path that Yixing always takes is now lined with small lanterns that light their way clearer than the moon light and scant sunlight can. The canopy up above is also decked out in lights that are reminiscent of Christmas lights but the small bulbs aren’t connected to one another by wiring, each is stuck individually to the twigs and branches of the trees, pointing every which way possible to give the pathway an equally distributed amount of light. The eyes of the scientist _light up_ at the sight and he can’t help but squeeze Yifan’s hand, a silent thank you relayed through the touch. But the surprise doesn’t end there; when they finally reach the spring, Yixing expects to only see a few lights here and there because they both know that it is the moonlight that makes the beauty of the spring divine. However, on the other side of the spring, standing underneath the canopy of trees and surrounded by a dozen of Yixing’s newly discovered flowers is a cabin, a house unlike the ones lining the streets in Mondstadt. The house has a dome-like shape but being far from the usual metal and rock combination used for the residences in the city, this one is made of wood and glass, the inside glowing with a warm light.

Yixing didn’t expect anything, the prince didn’t tell him anything about spending their first night as a newlywed couple in the forest either. No wonder the royal has been prohibiting him from visiting the spring in the days leading up to their wedding in the guise of construction being done to the vents and windmills.

“Are we spending the night here?” Yixing still asks to be sure, as they walk closer to the spring, the Serenliebes sparkling as they always are, beautiful.

“The following three days, yes.” The prince answers, feeling the younger spinning fast on his heels to face him.

“Three days?” The scientist asks in disbelief, to which the royal nods, “But what about work?”

They finally reach the spring, the lights from the pathway and the cabin reflecting in the water as well, bathing the surroundings in a mix of glowing silver and warm yellow. The prince turns to the younger, taking hold of both of the other’s hands, watching as Yixing’s eyes dance with worry.

“I deserve a break, don’t I?” He lifts one of his hands to tuck a strand of Yixing’s hair to the back of his ears, the younger nodding slightly, “Besides, you’re the one who keeps telling me that I shouldn’t overwork myself.”

“But still–” Yixing’s concerns drown in his throat as the elder bends down to kiss him, his lips quickly molding with the scientist’s.

“I bet the water is lovely,” the prince whispers against Yixing’s lips after drawing back, nodding towards the spring before giving the younger a light peck, “would you like to take a dip?” The scientist, breathless and eyes slightly out of focus, nods as he embarrassingly finds his hands clutching at the sides of the prince’s robes. He lets go and allows the elder to shed his clothes, who slowly removes the sash around his waist as he eyes Yixing.

Then the prince walks towards the younger and tugs him closer by the belt still knotted around his waist, “Need help, love?”

Even with the scientist vigorously shaking his head, the prince places one hand on his cheek and leans down to kiss him while the other hand undoes the tie around his waist. He lets himself go and places his arms around the prince, keeping him close and his lips closer even as his sash falls down to the ground. The elder pushes Yixing flush to his torso as their lips glide against each other, their eyes closed but moving frantically under the lids, just like their hearts slowly pick up speed as their bodies start rubbing against each other.

Yifan’s hand slides down from Yixing’s face to the younger’s waist before he curves it to the back joined by his other hand to cover the swell of the human’s ass. He lets one hand travel up the younger’s back as the other stays to cup Yixing’s behind, the motion causing the younger to moan against their kiss. The prince takes advantage of this and slides his tongue in, enjoying the way Yixing’s hands tighten around his neck and the way he tiptoes to let Yifan in. The royal’s hand caresses Yixing’s back as his tongue does the same to the younger’s own, letting the tip get a taste of the other’s mouth. Once satisfied with how he’s made a mess of the younger, the prince lets go, suppressing a chuckle after hearing his beloved whine.

“Let’s take advantage of the spring, love,” the prince presses Yixing to his front, effectively stopping the younger from making any movements that will cause the royal’s resolve to crumble. As much as possible, Yifan wants to prolong the night, for them to be able to enjoy the night of their union and for it not to pass by so quickly. To be able to do so, he reluctantly pulls away from the scientist to remove his own clothes, placing the ceremony garment and his shoes near the edge of the spring.

Completely naked and with only the dark shadowing parts of his body, Yifan walks towards the spring, feeling Yixing’s eyes following him. He tests the water first by dipping a foot in, humming when he feels that the temperature is just right, hot enough to keep them warm as they swim naked with the cool breeze dancing around them.

“As expected, water’s lovely,” the prince informs Yixing, hiding a smile as he sees the younger’s eyes look at him with a shade of lust sheathing them. The other is usually at this point only when they are already in bed with Yifan’s manhood inside of him. So getting this kind of reaction so early without even doing much just yet and with the younger’s clothes still on has the prince’s anticipation rising through the roof.

To avoid the younger’s intense gaze, the prince slowly descends to the spring, submerging himself in the warm waters and trying to find a place that he can sit on. Fortunately, there are a few rocks that have smooth surfaces and the royal settles on one of them. Yifan finds Yixing still on the ground and seemingly reluctant to shed his clothes and join the prince. So the elder smiles at him as he pours water over himself, the warmth easing the cold the upper half of his body is experiencing.

“Come on, love,” with one of his hands, the prince beckons Yixing to come closer before raising a playful eyebrow to the younger, “or do you want me to come up there and be the one to remove your clothes?” Even with only the glow from the cabin lighting the younger’s face, Yifan can see his face colouring, the shade getting darker with every shake of his head.

“Understood,” the prince answers, turning around to face the cabin because he knows, even if he’s seen the younger’s body before, that Yixing is and will always be shy about his figure and the thought alone of exposing himself. The royal knows that Yixing has had a few drinks thrusted to his hand at the banquet, and with how kind the younger is, he knows he wouldn’t have been able to reject them even if he wanted to. If not the smell of Yixing’s breath, then the way he walks and how his eyes are slightly out of focus are also good indicators of the alcohol in his system. The prince just prays that while he has his back to Yixing, the younger won’t injure himself and get safely down to the spring. Hopefully, the younger didn’t drink so much that his whole body will just shut down. Thankfully, Yifan hears the tell tale sign of fabric hitting the ground, then the sound of the water rippling. He can also feel the water move as Yixing enters and glides towards him.

“You can look now,” the prince feels Yixing’s hand on his shoulder. He turns around to find a small smile on the younger’s lips as they meet eyes. The royal returns it and scoots to the side, happy that Yixing is alright with being naked together in an open space. It could be the alcohol or the elder’s earlier assurance that no one is around to see them that is making the younger comfortable.

“Here,” Yifan pats the space beside him, the rock he found large enough to accommodate the scientist as well, “there’s plenty of space for the both of us.” He holds the younger’s hand as Yixing takes the last few steps to sit beside him, the royal’s arm instantly wrapping around the other’s waist to keep him close. They share a few kisses, nothing passionate like the ones they shared earlier, just a few pecks here and there, the prince peppering Yixing’s face and neck before the younger does the same.

Yifan scoops a handful of water and cleans Yixing’s face off of the mixed red and white paint, the younger doing him the same favour and kissing him afterwards. When Yixing settles beside him once more, he hears a sigh as he looks at their surroundings, the lit path, the trees creating a wall of privacy for them, the moon above them and the Serenliebes just beside them.

“We’re married now,” Yixing breathes out, “we’re actually married now.” Yifan chuckles at the astonishment in the younger’s voice.

“This is not you regretting it, right?” The elder asks, playfully giving a pointed look to the other. He realizes just then how much he has opened up ever since Yixing entered his life, how many expressions he now has other than just a straight face and a _smiling_ one.

Yixing shakes his head in defense and says, “I’m just stating facts,” quickly adding to placate whatever guilty feelings the elder is starting to regain, “I will never regret being with you.” He noses at the elder’s arm, leaving kisses on the bulging muscles until he reaches the prince’s shoulder where he perches his chin.

The royal turns his head to kiss Yixing again and this time the younger pushes forward, hand traveling down the elder’s arm until he feels Yifan’s strong thighs beneath his palm. His hand moves up once more to caress the royal’s chest, grazing his fingers over the elder’s nipples until he feels the hand on his waist tighten. The younger then lets his hand go further down again to where the prince’s legs are parted, his manhood slowly rising in between them. Yixing’s fingers drum along Yifan’s shaft as he whispers, “You’re _my husband_ now.”

The elder groans both from Yixing’s sultry voice and the younger’s fingers finally wrapping around him, stroking slowly as their lips meet in a flurry of roughly exchanged kisses, moving from each other’s lips to a part of the other’s face or body then back to their mouths. There’s a thrill in hearing Yixing say it, his words a validation of their claim over each other. It spikes Yifan’s need for the other, for his husband, biting on the younger’s lips in desperation for more as he jerks his hips up.

“Yixing…” The prince’s voice turns deeper and more gravelly as the younger’s hand moves faster, the snap of Yixing’s wrist becoming sharper as his tongue teases his husband’s jaw and his teeth nip at the soft skin beneath it. Yixing’s grip then disappears from around the prince’s pride, the royal whining as he hears the water lapping against the sides of the spring. When he opens his eyes, he finds Yixing swimming to the other side of the spring, not too far from him, especially not with his long legs and longer strides.

Soon, he is able to reach Yixing, turning the younger around and kissing him sloppily, his hands roaming around the younger’s body. He hauls Yixing up to the ground where the younger’s clothes are strewn across the grass. The prince places the other to sit on his discarded garments before leaving kisses all over his husband’s body. Yixing is unable to protest when Yifan has one hand around his cock, one cupping his ass and his mouth around the human’s nipple. All the younger does is moan, grapple at the other’s wet body and arch his torso closer to Yifan to gain more contact.

The prince takes the opportunity the younger is giving him, groaning against Yixing’s skin when the other pushes his slender frame towards him. He flicks his tongue fast on the hardened nubs perking up from the other’s chest, flattening it and soaking the younger’s nipple with his saliva before sucking it into his mouth again, the slurping sound causing Yixing to moan and pull at the royal’s hair.

 _“More…”_ The younger moans, the word lifted to the air before falling over them and kissing Yifan’s skin, making him shudder and urging him to give the other that _more_ that he wants.

Yifan appreciates everything Yixing gives him, thankful that the younger is able to shed his shy demeanour once they start. He leaves no skin unkissed and no patch of porcelain untouched as he makes his way down to the younger’s erection, the flesh slowly hardening between the other’s legs. His tongue delves into the human’s navel, Yifan enjoying the way Yixing pushes his stomach closer to his face, moaning the royal’s name in a breathy voice. The hands on his shoulders disappear and move to his head and neck as he slowly kneels, hoping the ground of the spring is not too rocky for his knees. He surprises Yixing by spreading the younger’s legs, the other, so out of his mind due to the elder’s touches and kisses, gasps and clutches at Yifan’s hair.

Yixing panics when he feels something cold on the tip of his cock, pulling his husband by the hair abruptly and quite painfully. With a frantic voice he asks, “What are you doing?”

The prince takes a hold of the younger’s cock, the member immediately disappearing in his large hand, “What you always do for me.”

“T-that’s,” Yixing tries to protest but loses the argument somewhere in his throat when he feels Yifan’s tongue pressing against the slit of his cock, the elder transferring the dribbling precum into his mouth.

The royal looks up with worry written all over his face, “Am I doing it wrong?” He is almost about to let go if not for the other shaking his head to clarify himself.

“You don’t have to do that,” Yixing finally gets to say what he wants to with the elder’s tongue not anywhere near his cock and the hand around his manhood loosened.

“Why not?” There is still conflict in the royal’s face, not quite understanding where Yixing is coming from, “It feels good when you do it to me, so I just thought I can make you feel good that way too.”

“You’re a prince,” Yixing breathes out, one hand cupping the royal’s face, “you shouldn’t have dirty things in your mouth.”

“This,” Yifan tightens his hand around Yixing’s cock again, “you,” he squeezes the younger’s thigh, “are not dirty.” There is fire in his eyes and they’re intense just like they were when they first did it, the sapphire and gold that rims his pupils seeming to be more vivid as the royal waits for Yixing to reply.

“But Yifan–”

“You’re my husband, Yixing,” the prince reminds the scientist, “my equal. You don’t have to think so low of yourself, you’re royalty just as I am.” Yifan stands full height once more, rubbing the back of his hand against the other’s cheek, “Let me do this, please. I want to make you feel good in another way.” He brushes the hair away that is sticking to his beloved’s forehead before licking the sweat that’s beading there. He kisses Yixing on the forehead then on his nose before capturing his husband’s lips, in hopes of making the other turn putty and give in to his wishes without putting up much of fight. And it works. The younger nods once they part from their kiss, reminding him to stop when he’s asked to do so. The prince promises to follow his command before kissing down his husband’s body again.

Yixing trembles with every swipe of Yifan’s tongue on his cock. His dick twitches every time the prince’s fingers ever so slightly graze his ball sacs. It is true, the elder has never once done this before for Yixing, probably because it is a completely new world for him. And even if he is quite sloppy and all over the place, the fact that he is making efforts to ascertain that Yixing feels good has the younger’s stomach doing backflips and his cock leaking precum as if to cry from feeling good.

Yifan looks up to see the younger’s ethereal glow, the moon directly dropping its light over Yixing’s porcelain-like skin. The scientist is leaning back with one of his hands propped behind to support him and this gives the prince a better view of his husband. He almost drools at how perfect the lean muscles on Yixing’s body connect and twine to form soft ridges and pull his skin taut. The water droplets left from his dip in the spring run down his torso and make his body sparkle like the gem that he is.

“You’re so beautiful,” Yifan murmurs against the crown of Yixing’s member before sucking on it, the younger unable to reply to the compliment as he is reduced to a moaning mess, the prince suddenly swallowing the rest of the other’s length into his mouth.

 _“Yifan, haaa,”_ the intensity of the pleasure Yifan’s mouth is giving him has Yixing throw his head back and close his eyes tight, his hands pushing and pulling at the elder’s long silver hair. The prince relishes in the way the younger reacts to his ministrations, not minding the stinging sensation on his scalp as he pushes himself further and makes sure that he is doing a great job like Yixing always does for him. He releases the younger’s manhood and focuses on his husband's ball sacs, licking them clean before sucking them into his mouth one by one. His hands don’t stop from pumping the younger’s length at a steady pace, not too fast and not too slow, only enough to keep the other on the edge.

“Yifan, Yifan that’s enough,” Yixing tries to push his husband’s face away from his private parts. But the elder has always been stronger, even with the younger’s hand pushing him down he manages to lick up from between the partition of the younger’s balls up to the tip of the other’s cock, following the engorged vein on the underside of Yixing’s shaft. Just when the younger thinks it is over, Yifan moves the other’s legs that are still dipped into the spring and lifts them so the scientist has his feet planted on the ground. The prince pushes Yixing down by the chest, the younger thankful that they have their clothes conveniently thrown to that part of the ground.

“We’re not yet done, love,” Yifan informs the other, hovering over his husband to give Yixing a kiss, his hands traveling down the younger’s body as their lips dance sensually. The elder gingerly pulls away, giving Yixing a peck on the lips then to his chin before doing the same to the younger’s chest, over his diaphragm, leaving little kisses over the small hills of Yixing’s abdominals before following the trail of sparse hair going down from the other’s navel. Yifan stands just by the edge of the spring and he caresses upwards from the younger’s ankles, lifting Yixing’s legs up when his hands reach the back of the smaller’s knees.

The younger yelps when Yifan pushes his legs close to his body while the prince licks and sucks his toes before kissing the rest of his foot. Yixing wants to complain again but he also knows that the elder doesn’t want to hear any more of it and will not listen either way, especially not when they are both drunk in pleasure.

“Can you hold this for me, love?” Yifan takes one of Yixing’s hands and places it on the back of the younger’s knees, the scientist trying his best to find strength to follow his husband’s instructions. Yixing can feel the royal’s thumb prodding his entrance and all he can do is bite his lips to suppress his moans. “Don’t stop yourself, love,” the prince squeezes Yixing’s ass while he spreads the cheeks further apart, “I want to hear you.” A moan rips through Yixing’s lips when he feels Yifan bury his face in between his ass.

 _“Aaaahhhhhhh,”_ the elder smiles against the skin of Yixing’s ass as the tip of his tongue follows the shape of the younger’s opening. The moan is followed by a series of varying pleasured sounds as the elder laps at Yixing’s entrance, the pink puckered hole twitching in anticipation whenever Yifan pulls away to breathe. The prince lifts Yixing’s ass, then he caresses from the younger’s stomach up to his chin, pushing his fingers down the other’s plump bottom lip before inserting said digits into Yixing’s mouth. Yifan chooses that time to insert his tongue into his husband’s entrance, wriggling the cold appendage into the warmth of his beloved. The younger’s moans get louder even as he sucks on the prince’s fingers. With Yifan eating him out he is having a hard time coating each of the royal’s thick and long fingers with his saliva as he is always interrupted by his own moans. He can’t help it, not when Yifan caresses his insides with his tongue, curling the appendage as he pulls out of the younger’s ass.

Once the prince deems his fingers slick enough to stretch Yixing open, he pulls his hand away from the younger’s mouth. He allows his pointer finger to follow the rim of the other’s opening before pushing in, warning Yixing of the intrusion before doing so. Even with previous experiences, Yifan takes it slow, knowing how painful initial penetration is for the younger. He patiently waits, kissing the back of Yixing’s thigh and helping him keep his legs up as his index finger slowly moves in and out of the other’s entrance. When he feels Yixing relax around his digit, he slides his middle finger in together with it in the next thrust. Seeing the younger’s face bunch up in an unpleasant manner, Yifan dips his head down to lick at the other’s member before popping it back into his mouth, hoping the good feeling of being swallowed by the elder’s mouth will overcome the pain that his fingers are causing his love.

 _“Yifan,”_ Yixing, feeling guilty that he is the only one who feels good, lowers one foot and starts stroking his husband’s erection. Yifan groans at the contact, his lips pressed against the younger’s inner thigh, burying his face on the junction of the other’s groin and thigh.

“Love, you don’t have to,” Yifan protests but doesn’t do anything to remove the younger’s foot from his stiffness, urging Yixing to press his foot flat against the underside of his husband’s cock while his big toe puts pressure on the crown of the elder’s cock.

 _“Yifan,”_ Yixing uses his foot to stroke the sides of his husband’s manhood, feeling it grow harder under the pads of his toes. His free hand roams up his chest, flicking his fingers over his nipples to add stimulation to his body as the royal’s fingers continue to stretch him open and his mouth continues to swallow him whole.

The elder pulls away, kissing up the other’s thigh until he reaches his love’s kneecap, his eyes falling to where his manhood is being stroked by the younger’s foot. He leans forward, folding Yixing’s leg in between their chests as he inserts a third and last finger into his husband, thrusting it in deeper and making the younger arch his back away from the ground, his lips slightly parted and wanting to be kissed. The scientist falters in stroking Yifan’s cock, his hands clutching at the clothes beneath him as the elder’s fingers brush near his prostate.

 _“Yifan, Yifan, please, Yifan,”_ Yixing’s eyes are merely slits as he raises a hand up to pull his husband down for a kiss, _“Love, please.”_ The prince gives in, kissing Yixing as he removes his fingers from inside the other.

“Come here, love,” Yifan pulls the younger to sit up before tugging him back into the spring. He makes sure to wrap an arm around Yixing’s waist and press the younger close to him because he knows the other’s legs won’t be able to hold him up, having turned jelly due to the royal’s ministrations. His hand slides down Yixing’s back, feeling the younger’s indecisive reaction, not knowing whether to fall into the touch or pull away from it because of the sensations it brings to his body. The prince gets a good squeeze of the younger’s ass, sliding his fingers between the other’s ass cheeks before pushing Yixing closer to him by that hold. Yifan can feel the younger’s finger find their way to wrap around the prince’s stiffness, the other hand going down to his sacs to fondle his tight balls. They swallow each other’s moans and groans, hands grasping at each other, moving from one’s arm to the other’s neck, from their sides down to their soft behinds.

Carefully, Yifan spins the scientist around, already missing the other’s hands on him. Yixing quickly turns his head, hand reaching up for his husband’s lips as the elder pulls him close to his chest. Reluctantly, the prince pulls his lips away from the younger’s, his eyes unable to pull away from the erotic expression his husband is wearing. His hands keep Yixing’s body close to him, one of them rising up to the younger’s chest to provide stimulation to his nipples while he nibbles at the other’s ear, slightly hidden behind his long brown hair. Yifan licks Yixing’s ear, in and out, sliding his manhood in between the younger’s ass cheeks as he does so.

 _“Yifan, please,”_ Yixing squirms in his husband’s hold, pushing his ass back to give the elder a hint of what he wants, what he needs. The prince seems to understand and slides his hand down from Yixing’s chest to his hip, the other hand disappearing to wrap around his own cock before he pushes it into the other.

Yixing pushes his head back when he feels the tip of Yifan’s cock breach the tight ring of muscles of his opening, the penetration pulling a gasp out of him. One of his hands grips onto the prince’s arm while the other wraps tightly around the elder’s neck, fingers clawing at the back of Yifan’s nape as the rest of the royal’s length is pushed into him.

Yifan allows his husband to adjust around him, peppering kisses all over Yixing’s face to distract him from the pain of the stretch. His lips eventually find their way to Yixing’s, the younger begging him to move in between their exchange, licking the elder’s lips and curling his tongue with Yifan’s in hopes of persuading his husband. It seems to do the trick as Yifan starts moving his hips, gradually pulling out before pushing back in. Yixing tiptoes then slowly flattens his feet back down to the ground, repeating the action and trying to match his husband’s pace. He uses Yifan’s neck and their connected lips as an anchor to keep himself steady as he meets his husband’s thrusts. Yixing whines, hoping it conveys the message of him wanting to be filled completely and taken roughly as the pace of his husband’s thrusts stay maddeningly slow and don’t help him with satisfying the craving he has.

“You’re not going to break me, Yifan,” Yixing whispers against the prince’s lips as he tiptoes once more, his legs trembling and already exhausted, _“Yifan, please.”_

They have done this many times before but every time still feels like the first, and as Yifan pushes Yixing down against the ground, wetting their clothes once more and grazing some Serenliebes on the way, he looks down and finds himself engulfed by the younger’s insides, the warmth surrounding him reminding him of the first time he had been wrapped in that warm cocoon.

The prince licks from the middle of Yixing’s back up to his neck along his spine, pushing his cock further into the other’s ass, his hips kissing his beloved’s rotund globes. If there are other living organisms, animals around them they would have been awoken by the younger’s scream, Yifan’s cock buried inside him.

“Is this what you wanted, love?” Yifan asks, his gruff voice directly playing into Yixing’s ears, his breath tickling the younger’s skin.

 _“Yes,”_ Yixing moans, pushing back when the elder pulls out, _“yes, yes, mmnnnnn,”_ Yifan places a hand on the other’s hip to keep him still, wanting to completely pleasure his husband all by himself. _“More, Yifan, more,”_ the younger’s plea stirs the royal up, pulling away and placing both hands onto his husband's hips before pistoning into him as Yixing screams for him to move, _“Faster, please!”_

It makes them both go crazy, the way the breeze keeps their upper bodies cold while their lower parts are connected, sharing an indescribable warmth as they move against one another. Yifan stops when he sees Yixing moving his hips once more, allowing the younger to impale himself on the elder’s length over and over again, with the pace, depth and quality of thrust he wants. But when Yifan feels the younger’s walls pulsate around him, clenching and unclenching in a crazed manner, he halts the other’s movements again and takes over.

He barely gets to enjoy Yixing’s pleasured sounds as his own overlaps with them, his groaning becoming deeper and more frequent as he is unable to do anything but increase his speed. The water splashes around them as his hips move to abuse his husband’s hole the way the younger begs him to do. After a while, the prince sees Yixing reach for his own cock, the heated flesh half dipped into the waters. The elder can only guess how it must have driven his husband insane, with the cold of the breeze and the warmth of the water mixing around his length.

To help the younger reach his peak, Yifan starts angling his thrusts differently, pushing in slowly and ears perking up to listen for that sound that Yixing always makes when the elder hits his prostate. The prince feels the other’s walls soft against the tip of his cock as he moves every which way to find his husband’s sweet spot. Then he feels Yixing’s hips stutter under his hands, hears him scream his name. Yifan’s eyes open to find the the younger arch away from the ground, keeping his position with the help of his weakened arm. Yixing pumps his cock faster as the elder massages his prostate with the head of his cock, the swollen tip pounding into his most sensitive area. Then the prince’s cock slips in deeper into the younger’s cavity, making Yixing arch his back and scream in surprise when the elder takes advantage of his length to hit further into the other. The strength of the sensation makes Yixing thirst for more, pushing back against his husband to feel it once, twice, a thousand times more; something he has never felt before, pleasure that is far greater than he could ever imagine, taking control over his body and mind.

With the way his body is moving along with Yifan’s thrusts, Yixing is certain that his orgasm is just around the corner, feeling a familiar swirl below his gut. He doesn’t allow his hands to stop moving, his hips barely able to keep up with his husband.

 _“Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!”_ Yixing throws all inhibitions away, allowing himself to openly express how his husband makes him feel, _“Yifan!”_

Yixing climaxes after Yifan thrusts harshly and swiftly into him, the tip of his cock rubbing deep against the younger’s insides to push the other off the edge. The scientist moans continuously, the sound warping as he finds the need for air, feeling how dry his throat is from all the gasping and moaning Yifan’s actions subjected him to. He continues to fist his cock to empty himself while his opening uncontrollably moves to wrap and release the elder’s length, wanting his husband to join him in pleasure.

The younger’s walls clamp down on Yifan one last time and the force of Yixing’s muscles clenched around him, makes it hard for him to pull out and instead of him thrusting his length out, his seminal fluid shoots from his manhood, painting his husband’s walls white, warm and slick. His orgasm draws a deep groan out of him, Yixing’s name falling from his lips as he fights to pump his member with the help of the younger’s hole. He milks himself dry into Yixing, his thrusts arrhythmic as he fills his husband to the brim. Empty of energy and of release, Yifan slumps down against Yixing, his body pushing the younger’s until they are a heap of messily tangled limbs over their ceremony garments.

 

“I wish we could have more days like this,” Yixing comments as his arms float in the spring, his body boneless and relaxed after their exhausting exercise. The younger is seated on the prince’s lap with his back against Yifan’s chest, his head resting on the elder’s shoulder. The royal hums; he too is enjoying the soothing time they are having after draining themselves out to consummate their marriage. It being their first time as a married couple marks itself as special and one of a kind, although they both treat every time as so, being bound by love even before they were bound by marriage.

“Would you like me to carry you into the house?” Yifan asks after they have been sitting submerged in the pool of water for quite some time already. The royal opens his eyes and lets them roam all over Yixing’s face, following the line of his husband’s closed eyes and the puffs of air coming out from his parted lips.

The scientist’s dimple appears before he chuckles, moving his head to nuzzle into the prince’s neck, directly smelling the mix of sex and sweat, “Even if I said no and pretended that I can walk there by myself, my legs would give me away.”

“That’s alright, I’m your husband now,” Yifan lifts Yixing’s chin before he kisses the younger’s lips, the other quickly reacting and pushing his head up to get more of his husband’s love. The prince places his arms beneath the younger’s knees and shoulders before he lifts Yixing up. He turns around to step out of the spring, hauling one foot up to the ground before the other, carrying himself and Yixing with unsurprising power, “and taking care of you is part of my responsibilities.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ word/phrase/sentence (language): meaning]
> 
>  
> 
> Związek (Polish): Union
> 
>  
> 
> Himmelskörper (G): Planet including the stars
> 
> Cieszcie się i pobłogosławcie ten związek (P): Rejoice and bless this union
> 
> Cieszyć (P): Rejoice


	6. Życzenie

Three days of seclusion seem to have not been enough for the newlyweds as they whirl past their servants and into their bedroom, Yifan’s bedroom now turned into _theirs_. They have shared the last few days with no one else but each other, words of adoration falling from their lips, before, during and after their acts of intimacy. It still feels surreal for Yixing, even as the prince has him bent over against the balcony that opens to show the garden below them, the elder whispering his name like a prayer, that this is not a mere act of satisfying their desire. Now, with their hands linked and their hearts racing to the finish line, they both know that this is an act done not out of lust, but out of love for each other, the physical connection allowing them to achieve a higher level of bond that links their souls, satiates their need for affection and calms their mind, a reassurance that they are as loved as they do love.

Their routine, however, kicks right back in the next day with Yifan having to pull himself out of Yixing’s arms and away from their bed when the alarm blares on his nightstand. The prince immediately misses the warmth that radiates from the younger when he trudges with his naked body to the bathroom. The scientist, still exhausted from their three-day vacation and their activities the night before, remains out cold on the bed when the royal comes back out, the steam from his bath seeping into their cold room.

Yifan sits on the bed, his upper body and hair still wet from his shower, inching closer to lean down and ruffle Yixing’s long hair in hopes of waking him, “Love?” He doesn’t get any response so he leans down, drops of water from his hair landing on the younger’s face, and kisses his husband’s cheek, lips moving to whisper into Yixing’s ear, “Love, wake up.” The other squirms and tries to pull the blanket up to cover himself, the adorable display making Yifan chuckle. He quickly pulls the blanket down with his other hand to wake Yixing up once more and to see his beloved’s face. “Love,” he makes the scientist squirm again, the younger fighting to cover his ear with his hand but the royal already has his lips directly over it, his tongue licking the pinna before he speaks, “wake up.”

Yixing still refuses to get up, wriggling his body into the blanket to cover himself, his hair whipping his husband’s face. Yifan laughs, tackling the younger to remove the blanket covering him, before spreading kisses all over the other’s face, pecking his lips every now and then.

“Yifan,” the younger whines, trying to run away from his husband’s lips only to be held in place by Yifan’s arms, Yixing’s naked chest meeting the elder’s wet one, “stop.”

“I’m not,” Yifan kisses the crown of younger’s head, smelling the scent of the meadows, “going to stop,” he moves to lick the apple of Yixing’s cheek, tracing down to the other’s dimple, digging deep as his husband giggles from his actions, “until you get up.”

The younger eventually peels himself out of bed, leaving a very naked and wet Yifan on it as he runs for the bathroom, making sure to lock the door before tending to his own morning rituals. When the scientist comes out, he finds his husband dressed for the day, his own robes already chosen and prepared for him by the elder.

“I thought green would be wonderful today,” Yifan walks up to him, eyeing him as he touches the jade-like robe waiting for the younger to wear. Yixing’s eyes flit up to the elder’s, smiling before raking his gaze down his husband’s tight-fitting clothes, finding the same jade colour overpowering the usual grey on the royal’s clothes.

“Indeed,” Yixing answers, hands coming up to the fastening of Yifan’s cloak where a jade is embedded on the clasps.

The elder reaches for the towel wrapped around Yixing’s waist and pulls, letting the soft fabric pool around the younger’s feet. The scientist lets out a small gasp when Yifan’s pointer finger brushes up from the side of his thigh up to his hip, slipping into his undergarments for a moment then running up his arm, the elder’s hand settling and wrapping around his neck.

Yifan steps closer, the younger’s hand clutching at the fastening of his cloak. The royal leans forward and murmurs against Yixing’s forehead, “Let’s get you dressed.”

The scientist gulps and nods, watching as his husband walks around him before taking his robes. He inserts his arm into the sleeves that the prince offers, tying the knot to secure the thin fabric together before wearing the thicker robe on top of it. The younger stretches his arms out when the royal tells him to, the elder wrapping a white belt around his waist and tying it on his front. Once the prince is done clothing him, his back is pressed to the elder’s chest, one of the royal’s hand securing him in place while the other caresses up his thigh.

Yifan’s lips are attached to Yixing’s neck, his tongue swirling where he knows is his husband’s most sensitive area. The younger is unable to control the shudder that racks through his body when he feels the prince breathe puffs of hot air into his ear but what the royal whispers to him is what makes him moan, “Makes me want to remove them again.” As the prince breathes the words into his ear, his hand tightens on Yixing’s waist, the other travelling up to the younger’s chest.

Seeing the time on the clock on Yifan’s nightstand, Yixing swiftly turns around and places his hand on the elder’s cheeks. He tiptoes to give his husband a kiss, licking a promise to the prince’s bottom lip, “Tonight, Yifan.”

 

When Yifan comes home that night, he finds Yixing tending to the garden, moving things here and there to be able to add more flowers to the small space. The scientist was able to find new flowers during their three-day trip in the forest, and it was impossible for the prince to deny the younger when he said he wanted to bring the flowers home with them. He can't refuse the younger when he pouts, when the brown orbs of Yixing's eyes look up to him in a plea.

The elder watches the scientist as he uses the sleeves of his robes to wipe his sweat. Yixing has his hair tied up, the long brown strands usually left down to cover the marks that Yifan leaves behind after a night of lovemaking. Seeing the younger's pale neck covered by bruises that Yifan has sucked into it makes a sense of pride swell in the prince's chest, his marks of claim burning red and purple on his beloved’s porcelain skin. Although Yixing will always try to use his hair to curtain his neck in embarrassment, the fact that he has left enough for the younger to want to hide makes Yifan proud.

Even from afar, the royal can already see the purplish bruises toning down and healing. This is what makes the elder step forward, wanting to add more to the painting he has already made on Yixing's neck, probably connecting the purpling dots with the ones on the other's chest and back or simply just adding a new colour to his canvas.

Yixing yelps when he feels himself be pulled up from where he's bent over to insert plants into the slots that he has created on the ground. He drops the small transplanter and the flower pot holding one of his new discoveries. When he stands up fully, he has two strong arms wrapped around his body, the elder’s lips immediately latching onto his neck.

“Yifan,” Yixing breathes out his husband’s name in surprise, a gloved hand falling over the prince’s arm. He squeezes it when he feels Yifan suck a hickey in the crook of his neck, the collar of his robe bit by the elder and displaced halfway towards his shoulder to expose the junction the heir wants to attack. The younger suppresses the urge to moan as they are still out and he is sure that Jongin and Zitao are waiting by the entrance. Disposing the gloves off to the ground, Yixing pries himself out of the elder’s hold, pulling at the prince’s hand to move them to their bedroom; the elder’s strong purchase making it hard for him squirm away. The prince quickly dismisses the royal guards waiting by the entrance of the garden, as Yixing expected, the two leave without further questions. Once inside the confines of their room, the younger allows the prince to be the one to remove his clothes, letting him do what he wanted to do in the morning before he left for his duties.

For the past four days, all they have been doing whenever they’re together is to proclaim their love for each other through the union of their bodies but they never seem to tire. Even now, as they lounge in bed after copulating once more, their hands roam around each other’s sweaty bodies, their lips connecting every so often.

Yixing settles back on the bed beside Yifan, giving up his perch on the prince’s chest to be able to kiss his husband’s strong shoulder. The elder smiles at the other’s way of showing affection, the human’s smaller fingertips running up and down the prince’s arm as he kisses Yifan’s skin. Once the scientist’s hand reaches the royal’s, Yifan grabs it and raises it to his lips, kissing the back of Yixing’s hand in return. This makes the younger’s heart warm, nosing at the prince’s shoulder as he feels the thin lips leaving kisses on each of his fingertips.

“Yifan?” The scientist calls out to his husband, face buried between the pillow and the elder’s shoulder. He continues when the elder hums, “Can you read me a book?” The elder chuckles a little, moving to roll to his side to cup Yixing’s cheek, rubbing his thumb over the younger’s prominent cheekbone. Even without the elder saying anything, the scientist adds with his lips jutting out in a pout, “I just want to get used to the sound of your language.”

Yixing peeks from where he’s buried himself in the crook of Yifan’s neck to show the elder his pleading eyes which he knows the prince is weak to, even though the scientist thinks that the royal’s pair of not matching coloured eyes are a thousand times more beautiful than his own. When the heir nods, Yixing giddily releases himself from the prince, letting the blanket glide down his body as he makes his way to the desk where he placed his study materials. Yifan gulps as he watches his husband’s back, the moonlight casting shadows to accentuate the muscles on the younger’s body. Yixing’s thighs are a work of beauty on their own, sinewy yet smooth under the prince’s fingertips, the way the muscles stretch and contract with every step the scientist makes causing the elder to drool. Yifan is not sure how many times he has to gulp while he is watching his husband go from their bed to the desk and back, the only one he counts is the last one when he sees the younger’s now limp manhood peeking behind the book Yixing has brought with him.

The younger sits beside Yifan, the prince pulling himself up and willing all filthy thoughts away to teach his husband. He smiles a little when the younger hands him the book. It is a fairytale book that is usually read to the kids who attend the school in Sonnenstadt and he knows Yixing has heard this being read to the kids all the time. The younger settles beside the prince, arms rounding his waist and his chin propped on the royals shoulder. There is obvious excitement in his eyes as Yifan opens the book, an old version that the scientist must have borrowed from his tutor or the public library which the other seems to frequent whenever he visits Sonnenstadt. It makes the prince feel nostalgic, remembering himself reading the same book when he was younger, the images painted alongside the words bringing back memories of his childhood. Without further ado, the prince clears his throat and starts reading from the very beginning.

 _“Amser maith yn ôl,”_ the scientist interrupts the prince after just the first line, asking him to repeat it before he shyly does the same. Yifan, fond of the younger’s eagerness mingling with timidness, starts spelling the words he pronounces into Yixing’s arm, using his fingernails for tracing each letter into his beloved’s soft skin. He feels the other shudder against him for a bit before the younger lifts a hand to the royal’s chest, repeating Yifan’s actions with an addition; a kiss for every word he finishes and says correctly. The prince barely contains himself, pecking Yixing’s forehead before moving forward. Unfortunately, the younger falls asleep halfway through the first page, his hand still placed above Yifan’s heart. Carefully, so as not to wake his husband, the prince places the book on his nightstand and slides down the bed with Yixing, not allowing the younger’s hand to leave its position on his chest, not wanting the other to ever let go of his heart.

 

Their kisses become more random and open, uncaring of who might catch them liplocking in the most open of places; the garden, the hallways, even the open areas that lead to the garage. So do the hugs, the prince catching the scientist off-guard every now and then with a back hug, sometimes pulling the younger close for a proper one; the intensity and length of the embrace lasting longer and becoming firmer yet warmer as the days pass.

It has Yixing blushing at first, caught by surprise and falling into embarrassment whenever he hears a servant giggle from a distance or one of the guards clear his throat to get their attention. But it becomes second nature for his husband to reach out for him and get a kiss before he has to leave for his duties, or for Yifan to surprise him with a hug whenever the royal comes back from a long day in Sonnenstadt. It is both comfort and assurance for the couple and as the time goes by, it feels wrong whenever the elder forgets to give Yixing a kiss or doesn’t bother to hug him. In those times the younger understands, exhaustion gets the better of people sometimes. So he, the one with more bountiful energy, puts a foot forward and is the one to kiss the prince first, surprising the elder and making him smile, the fine lines of fatigue and creases of worry disappearing with the contact of Yixing’s lips on his skin.

There are days when Yifan brings Yixing along with him on his visits to Sonnenstadt, making sure to take a trip to the school so the younger can see the children and play with them. Ever since he learned about the past the scientist holds, how he grew up in an orphanage without anyone to really consider his friend aside from something inanimate like the rain, Yixing seems to have been more open to the royal, sharing his thoughts on wanting to visit the children and to play with them because the human is sure there is someone there who feels like they don’t belong. It is immediate, an instant thought, that whenever a trip to the school, the daycare or the library is in his schedule, the prince will always bring Yixing with him. If the scientist has lessons that day, the elder will easily talk the tutor into excusing his husband, taking it upon himself to teach Yixing what he needs to learn for that day which always means that Yifan will end up with a few burning touches to his skin as the book lays forgotten on the floor.

It is on such a day, Yifan and Yixing walking with their hands interlaced inside the school with the children following them around, exuberant and always brimming with stories to tell about the book they found or how well their Weiße Kugel behaves and how smart they are for learning new tricks quickly, that the queen finds them on one of her own visits to Sonnenstadt.

She watches them fondly, smiling at how well Yixing interacts with the children even with his limited knowledge and capabilities of speaking the Llwyth language. The human looks very fit to have children, to care for their well-being and make sure they are, and stay, on the right path. It makes her wonder why they haven’t heard news from the newlyweds yet about having a child on the way, considering the fact that they can hear Yixing’s cries of Yifan’s name every other night even from the other side of the palace. The queen wants to pull them aside and talk to them about the possibilities of having a child soon, as Yixing seems nothing if not fit to father one, but her time in the city comes to an end because she has to leave for another appointment. She hopes to catch the couple after dinner later.

 

The Queen is pleased to see her son and Yixing join them for dinner as the two are secluding themselves even more so now than they did before their marriage. Knowing the topic of the conversation she wants to hold with them is quite sensitive, she waits with grabbing hold of the two until their meal is complete but prior to them disappearing into their love nest once more. So when the two excuse themselves after finishing their share, the Queen asks to see them by the entrance of the dining hall. As asked to, the couple waits for her and follows her to one of the rooms nearby.

"Sit," she gestures for them to take the chairs in front of hers, dismissing the servants that have followed them to wait outside before turning her attention back to the couple before her. The Queen smiles at them, just like how she did in the earlier hours of the day when she saw Yifan and Yixing with the kids. It reminded her of having her own, first Teyrndwls, then Arian, who, she reminds herself, are called Yifan and Sehun respectively by the scientist. Her smile is mirrored by the two young men, their hair long and braided, one chocolate brown and one silvery white, their complementary contrast maintaining a perfect balance.

"You must be wondering why I called you here," she muses, seeing how the two are barely restraining themselves from touching each other when she knows for a fact that they openly kiss whenever they think nobody's watching, having caught the two with their lips sealed with each other’s multiple times already. The thought makes her want to chuckle but she suppresses the urge in favor of addressing her initial concern. "I saw you two earlier with the kids in school," her words are mixing with Llwyth language, her lack of practice from having been unable to use the human language as often as her children and other royalties have showing. But Yixing seems to understand her nonetheless, his eyes sparkling at the mention of the children, "Did you like the kids, Yixing?" She intended her first question to have more weight to it but guessing as it might be too fast of a pace to go, she decides to start simple.

"Yes," the scientist answers, the smile on his lips charming the Queen in her seat, eyes transfixed to the hole appearing on the human's cheek, "they are very clever and energetic."

"How about having one of your own?" The Queen blurts out, not meaning to be this abrupt but she is so caught up in the moment that the words just push themselves out of her mouth.

"Mother!" Yifan exclaims in shock. Though implied, he and Yixing have never openly talked about having children after their conversation in the garden months prior to their marriage. His hand instantly flies to cover the younger's smaller ones that are now balled on his lap.

"I'm sorry," the Queen apologizes as she notices Yixing quieten and curl in on himself, using his husband's arm to shield himself from the older royal's gaze, "I didn't mean to pry into your private life as a couple."

She looks down on her own hands, wringing them as Yifan tries his best to soothe Yixing and pull him out of his shocked state. "I just thought you two would be great fathers and we're getting old and grey," she picks at her hair, its former luster slowly disappearing as the number of days of her life increases, "we want to be able to hold our grandchildren before we permanently say goodbye."

"Mother." Yifan reaches a hand out to the Queen, making sure to maintain his hold on Yixing's hands at the same time, "Don't say such a thing."

The elder chuckles lightly, spinning her hair into her finger before smiling up to her son.

"I am merely voicing an old woman's wish, my son," she releases the lock of hair she's been twisting to place a hand on the prince's face. She then looks at Yixing, whose eyes are still downcast. Removing her hand from Yifan's cheek, she places it on the human's instead, lifting his face up to meet his eyes, a beautiful set of brown that captivates whoever looks into them.

"Son," she addresses Yixing, thinking of the man as one of her own too. To her, having Yixing marry into their family was like finding another son, "do not rush just because of the things I said." She reminds him, a feeling of guilt gnawing at her for her earlier words, impetuous and uncalculated, "Take your time and let love be your guide."

Yixing slowly lifts his eyes to properly meet hers, the Queen's irises, a pairing of soft blue and amethyst, enchanting and lovely, holding words of wisdom and comfort that the elder cannot voice out. He nods once in affirmation and smiles at her once again, happy to find her doing the same as well, the crow's feet on the sides of her eyes visible as are the creases on her forehead.

The Queen walks out of the room with them, declining their offer to walk her to her and the King's chambers before going back to theirs. She watches their backs as their forms shrink in the distance before they take a sharp turn to the left to take them to their own chambers. Despite the words she said to the couple, she still wishes for them to consider her words. She is not getting any younger, the same goes for her husband, and her last wish in this lifetime is to be able to lay her eyes on the future heir of Tuhwntmae'rsêr, her grandchild.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

"Yixing." Yifan's arms encircle the younger's waist as the scientist reaches for the flowers that look like bluebells except they come in mixed colours of crimson, violet and blue. In response, the other just hums and nods to signal the elder that he is listening. "Whatever my mother said, you don't have to think too much of it, alright?"

"Yifan," the scientist drops his hands to his sides, eyes cast low to the flowers he has placed in the flowerbed just that day, "it's easy to say but it's not easy to do."

"Love," the prince's voice oozes with a pleading tone, pulling Yixing to him as he doesn't know the right words to reassure the younger that all is well and that his mother only said such things because her old age and most likely her want to have a child in the palace once more were urging her.

"I understand where she's coming from, Yifan," Yixing assures his husband, relaxing in the prince's tight embrace and letting himself be soothed by his kisses, "I just need time."

"Of course, love," Yifan answers, his lips placed on the back of Yixing's ear, "take all the time you need."

 

But Yixing doesn't take his time, doesn't hold his horses as he visits Lu Han's office the next day, the elder busy with tweaking a few things on his new invention. The royal is surprised to see Yixing in his office, as the younger is always either in his lessons or with Yifan and if it's neither of those he knows the scientist is busying himself with his garden.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit, Your Highness?" Lu Han bows, reminding Yixing once more that he is royalty now, the extension and words used in exchange for calling his name making him squirm where he's standing.

"Please don't call me that," the younger begs, lips forming a pout as he walks closer to Lu Han's workspace. Once he's near enough to the inventor, Yixing whispers, "I need help."

Lu Han raises an eyebrow at the helpless tone and the way Yixing basically mouths his words, as if he's afraid that someone might hear him, "And your husband cannot do the helping?" The human shakes his head so gently that if the royal hadn't looked closely he would have missed the small movement. "So, what is it then?" Yixing bites his bottom lip and looks around, leaning close then pulling back, hesitant to voice out his worries. When Lu Han gets tired of watching the younger's hesitation, he groans and says, "Just say it, no one's going to hear you except for me," the inventor waves his arms to his sides to show that they have the whole place to themselves, that no one else is there to witness and eavesdrop on their conversation.

Yixing deflates and takes a chair to sit beside Lu Han, propping an arm onto the inventor's work table, "You're the royal inventor," he states and the other hums, pumping his chest out in pride, "so you must have something for my problem."

"Maybe," Lu Han shrugs, checking if his latest invention is aesthetically pleasing, "if you tell me what it is, maybe we can work something out."

"I can't get pregnant," Yixing blurts out, a fact that the people of Tuhwntmae'rsêr, especially the royals, are already aware of. Lu Han tries his best to suppress his laugh but the sound comes bursting out of him in uncontrollable fits of giggles.

The inventor only stops when Yixing throws him a stern look, "Alright, I'm sorry. It's just that I already know that and it isn't exactly a problem."

"No, it is a problem Lu Han." The inventor tilts his head to the side, wondering where Yixing is going with this, "I need to get pregnant. I need to bear a child for Yifan." Lu Han is quiet for a moment, gauging the weight of the younger's words not for himself but for the scientist.

"Have you maybe thought of impregnating your husband instead?" The idea makes Yixing pull a face, as if the idea is totally out of the question. He doesn't need to give any more answer but he still shakes his head.

"Lu Han, there must be something I can do," the scientist pleads, hands pulling the sleeves of the inventor's robes, "you must have invented something for this."

The inventor gives Yixing a sad smile, shaking his head in dismay for not being able to help the younger, "I have created quite a lot of things,” he says honestly, looking at the latest of them that’s sitting in front of him, “but this is not something I will ever meddle with." He places a hand on the other's shoulder as Yixing looks down at his feet dejectedly, "It is a life we are talking about here, Yixing. The life of your child."

“It’s for your future, Yixing,” Lu Han adds after a few moments of silence, “do it the right way. The way it’s supposed to be done.”

 

Lu Han's words ring in Yixing's ears as he walks to the garden, to be alone and to have some time to think by himself. He doesn't even get to the bench. Instead he unceremoniously sits down on the steps below the archway that leads to the garden, pulling his legs close to him and propping his chin onto his knees before letting his eyes roam around the garden, flitting over the colourful flowers. Upon his urging, they have placed lamps around the garden, their lights mimicking the rays of the sun, bright enough to allow the flowers to bloom in the conditions that they were used to. His eyes stop at the Serenliebes. They have made sure that the area where they surround the small artificial pond in the middle of the garden is left untouched by the lights. As with the spring, the moonlight bounces off from the pond’s surface, making the the star-like flowers shine. He thinks of the nights he has spent with Yifan in this garden, tracing the tracks they walked every other night, the places where they've lain on the grass and the kisses they've shared as they sat together on the bench.

 _Why do you not want to do it, Yixing?_ He asks himself, a question he always wanted to avoid but he knows he can only evade it for so long.

There are many answers, some he has scratched off the list as he grew accustomed to the history, culture and way of living of the Llwyth, studying their anatomy among many other things. At first, the idea of a male carrying a child was so foreign to Yixing that it became his main reason to reject the idea of Yifan getting pregnant, but as time went on and he was able to study more of the Llwyth people, he came to accept the possibility of male pregnancy, even seeing for himself a man who was expecting, on one of his visits to Sonnenstadt.

But now more than anything there is the worry that Yifan's abilities to perform his duties and fulfill his responsibilities will be hindered by him being pregnant. In Yixing's mind, it should be him who carries their child, him who bears that responsibility while his husband does his duty to his people and to his planet. Despite being married and openly professing their undying love for each other at any given minute, the scientist still feels the, in Yifan’s eyes illogical, need to serve his husband. Being the one married into royalty, without any such noble attachments to his own person, Yixing feels the need to bow down and do the work that is to be expected of someone of a lower rank. Even with Yifan's constant reminders that they are equals, that being called a prince and a royalty is just a title, Yixing can't help but feel the pressure to bear their child and not let Yifan do it.

With the scientist so deep in his musings, he doesn't notice the long legs that settle on his sides and the arms that envelope him. Only when a hot puff of air hits his neck does he jump in surprise, his husband chuckling before saying, "I missed you."

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Yixing drowns in Yifan's love in the days that come, the thoughts about the responsibility to bear a child for his husband put in the back burner for the time being, the choice he has to make set aside for later thinking. Instead he focuses on the way the prince's hand follows the curve of his spine, the gooseflesh the other’s fingertips leave in their wake, the way his skin burns where his husband's lips leave kisses and suck until a bruise forms.

It takes the scientist a few days to decide to leave Dinas Hynafol again to visit Sonnenstadt as he hasn't done that for quite some time. After changing his clothes and promising his tutor that he will only take a short trip and will get back early enough to finish the assignments he was given for that day, Yixing asks Jongin to take him to the city of the Sun but before they can reach the exit doors that lead to the garage, the scientist hears laughter echoing from the gardens at the center of the palace. He stops in his tracks when he hears Yifan’s voice interspersed within the gleeful noises. Jongin, who went before him, comes back inside when he notices Yixing isn’t following him, seeing the scientist walk towards the center of the palace.

In the middle of the garden, the scientist finds Yifan lying on the ground, his cloak opened around him for the children to be able to lie down without getting their clothes dirty, their heads placed on the prince’s chest or arms. The royal points to the stars above them telling the children about each one that they can see from where they are. His voice, carried by the wind to where Yixing is hiding behind the pillar, has a cheerful quality to it that strongly reminds the scientist of the first time he saw Yifan surrounded by children on his very first visit to Sonnenstadt. The royal looks at ease, his eyes are glowing, like they are whenever he and Yixing are linked and their impassioned bodies are moving in a rhythmic pattern, but right now they are also laced with a softness that the younger only sees during Yifan’s most vulnerable times, when the royalsays he loves Yixing.

Yifan never outrightly expressed his desire to have children of his own but Yixing knows well that he does. Whenever he sees the elder’s eyes light up, he inevitably gets sad because he has the capability to give Yifan that one thing he knows his husband wishes for so much but instead of doing so he makes up unfound reasons to avoid the matter.

The younger balls his fists to his sides, trying to suppress the rush of guilt he feels for denying his husband of such happiness, forgetting just how much joy it brings to Yifan whenever he is surrounded by children.

 _“They give me energy,”_ he remembers the prince telling him when the younger mentioned something about Yifan always visiting the school to see the children, _“I don’t know why but I forget all problems whenever I see them smiling up at me.”_ He also recalls the way the elder’s eyes always light up at the mere thought of seeing the children, the sapphire and gold even more beautiful than on any other days.

The decision that Yixing has set aside for later pops its head to the surface once more and suddenly his choice is crystal clear as the younger thinks about how perfect of a father Yifan will be. Crystal in the way that he knows that he doesn’t want anybody to give the prince that source of joy but him. His decision becomes definite in this moment; he will cast his fears away and give Yifan the happiness he deserves.

Yixing didn’t want to interrupt Yifan’s time with the kids but one of the children sees him standing behind the pillar and runs to pull him out of his hiding place. The prince’s smile widens even further at the sight of his husband, patting the space beside him once the children have cleared out to move to his other side. Yixing, like his husband, spreads his cloak around them and the children immediately flock him as well; the younger not missing the small pout Yifan wears when the attention shifts from him to the other. Yixing places a finger over the elder’s lips and asks him to continue what he was doing before the younger joined them so the royal does, the Llwyth words sounding so fluid and beautiful, flowing with his rich voice.

 

After they make sure that all the children are sent home safely, Yixing pulls Yifan to their bedroom, the look in his eyes telling Jongin and Zitao that the newlyweds should not be followed, so the guards close the entrance of the prince’s chambers once the couple are in and make sure no one comes in.

As soon as they step foot inside the room, the scientist immediately closes the domes above them, pulling Yifan down to seal their lips afterwards. The prince doesn’t question the sudden action, just wraps his arms around Yixing’s shoulder to pull the younger closer to him. But after a few kiss exchanges, Yixing turns more aggressive, pulling Yifan to bed and toppling him over to place himself on top of the prince. The prince releases an _oomph_ when he hits the mattress, eyes wide at the younger’s sudden boldness. Before the royal can voice any of his thoughts, Yixing leans down and captures his lips once again, effectively sucking the breath out of the royal as the younger slides his tongue into Yifan’s mouth. The prince melts under Yixing’s touches, his protests dying in his throat as the scientist’s hands roam around his body, struggling to remove his husband’s clothes one by one.

“Love?” Yifan creases his forehead, his eyebrows meeting when the younger suddenly pulls away with a grunt, obvious irritation on his face. Yixing yanks the clasps of the prince’s cloak when his fingers cannot undo them properly, the fastening receiving the younger’s wrath and falling to the marble floor. The heir covers the other’s smaller hands before jerking him slightly to get his attention, noticing just then that the hands within his larger ones are trembling. With worry in his voice, he asks the man above him, “What’s the hurry?”

Yixing deflates, pulling back as he tries to pry himself from Yifan’s grip but the elder keeps his trembling hands within his own. The younger looks away, shame clouding his expression as he tries his best to extract himself from his husband.

When Yifan doesn’t receive a reply, he lifts one hand up to Yixing’s chin. Not wanting to force the younger to face him, he calls out to him instead, “Love?”

Slowly, the scientist faces his husband, the shame still riddling him. When Yifan asks him what the matter is, his lips are shut tight, forming a straight line so different from the way his lips are usually curved for a smile. He doesn't want to have to explain anything, only wants to move along and execute the actions implied by his final decision.

"Please tell me, love?" Yifan uses Yixing's momentary lapse of control to sit up, the younger immediately moving off of him and staying on his side of the bed.

"I-I thought I could do it," Yixing mumbles when he hears the bed sheets rustle as his husband moves towards him. He shakes his head, pulling his arms to wrap around his own body, "but I don't know how. I thought I do but I," frustration can be heard in the younger's voice, "I just don't know."

"Love, what are you talking about?" The concern in the prince's voice has changed to some form of confusion, unable to grasp the reason behind his husband's words. He keeps his distance from Yixing to give the younger the space he knows the other needs.

"I want to do it with you," Yixing answers exasperatedly, to himself, not to his husband, "I want to do it _to you_."

Suddenly the puzzle pieces click in place in Yifan's brain; Yixing taking the first step, the bold behaviour, the eager movements and obvious nervousness weaved into them. The elder feels guilty, knowing the younger might just feel pressured to do it because of his mother's wishes. He scoots closer to Yixing and wraps an arm around his husband, his nose nuzzling the other's neck.

"I told you, didn't I?" The prince asks Yixing, his lips attached to the other’s neck, hands squeezing the younger's shoulder, "You don't have to feel forced to do it."

"I'm not," the scientist turns around to meet Yifan's gaze, "I really want to do it," then he casts his eyes down, missing the surprised widening of the elder's eyes, his brown orbs landing on his husband's adam's apple instead, "I just don't know if I'm doing it right."

"Yixing," the elder waits until the scientist lifts his eyes up to him, "are you sure about this?" The younger nods, "Why now? Why so suddenly? Is it because of the things my mother said?"

"No, that’s not it. I," Yixing stops for a second, remembering the gummy smile Yifan wears whenever he is surrounded by children, "I want to make you happy."

"But I am happy," the elder smiles as if to prove his point, nosing at the other's cheek.

"Happier," the younger corrects, mirroring the prince’s expression, "I want to give you what we on Earth call a little _bundle of joy."_

"Yixing," the prince breathes out, the smile on his husband’s face assuring him that this is already his final decision. It warms his heart that the younger came to this conclusion by his own will and that he is assured that it isn't motivated by Yixing feeling pressure to give Yifan an heir. "You're amazing."

"You're going to help me, right?" Yixing asks, the shame he felt earlier forgotten as the glimmer in the sapphire and gold looking at him overcomes the negative feeling.

“I’m sure you don’t need help,” Yifan teases the younger who pouts at him, “but of course I will.” He erases the pout by kissing the younger and whispering to his lips, “Let’s take it slow.”

 

It’s unusual to be the one on top, to be the one dominating their intercourse but Yixing doesn’t feel uncomfortable as he slides his tongue down the side of Yifan’s neck to get to his husband’s collarbones. They have already shed all of their clothes as they kissed, the heavy fabrics of the prince's garments strewn across the floor while Yixing's robes sit in an undignified heap just beside their bed. Yifan whispered reassurances directly to Yixing's lips as each piece of clothing was removed. His words eased the scientist into taking the leading role, told him that it's alright to take it slow; better slow and accurate than fast and sloppy. It makes the younger realize that they may occasionally rush in kissing, in stripping themselves, but never with the sex itself. Yifan always makes sure that his body is well-loved, attended to with the amount of affection it deserves, that Yixing deserves. And Yixing wants to do the same, to reciprocate and be the one to show Yifan that he is also deserving of that much and more.

The prince doesn't shy away when Yixing nips at his collarbones, relishing in the adoration the younger is showering him with, clutching at the other's arms as Yixing tongues at the small indentations his teeth have left behind on the skin over Yifan's collarbones. His grip around the scientist's much thinner arms tightens even more when he feels something wet coat his left nipple, the usually soft bud hardening under the younger's ministrations. The royal barely gets to watch Yixing move over his chest, his eyes fluttering shut to get a better feel of the way the younger's tongue swirls over his nipples, making sure to cover his areola as well. He recognizes the pattern that the scientist is following; it is the same one he usually subjects Yixing to during foreplay. It’s hard for him not to perform all these worshipping actions whenever they lie together, the younger's body too enticing and asking to be loved in all the right ways. His thoughts are broken when Yixing lightly bites at his nipple, the royal’s fingernails leaving crescents on the younger's arms as the other licks the slightly curved part on top of his nipple while the nub is still stuck in between his husband's pearly whites.

The groan Yifan conjures from his throat excites Yixing as he continues to flick his tongue over the elder's nipples. When he's satisfied with the love, or abuse, he has shown for the prince's left nipple, the scientist moves to the other, making sure the same amount of adoration is given to it. His hand comes up to the royal's chest, to have his fingers pinch and rub on the other nipple that he has just left. The younger ensures that his husband's body is stimulated fully and that no part of it is left untouched. Yifan doesn't seem to protest, enjoying how his younger husband is biting and lightly pulling at his nipple while twisting the other in his delicate fingers. Yixing finally releases the elder's nipple and smiles against the royal's skin before kissing up his husband's chest, nibbling the elder's chin before letting their lips meet again.

"Was that good?" Yixing asks against Yifan's mouth, his voice barely above a whisper. He gulps and smiles when he sees the elder open his eyes to make contact with his before nodding.

"More than good," Yifan responds then puckers his lips and kisses the younger again, "It was great," the prince lifts a hand up to cup the other's cheek, "You are great."

The words make Yixing want to hide from the elder, the compliment seemingly too much for his meager actions, the crook of the prince's neck looking like a very nice place to bury in the moment. Seeing as it is highly unlikely that the elder will allow him to do that, his body flushes, the younger thanking the pale light of the moon for obscuring the crimson colour covering his body.

"No need to be shy," the prince notices his embarrassment nonetheless, "You asked and I answered," he teases Yixing, tapping the younger's nose before pulling him down for another kiss, "I'm just speaking the truth."

As a way of escaping his husband's teasing and endless praises, Yixing kisses down Yifan's body again, focusing on covering his body with pecks and licks, leaving well-sucked bruises here and there to colour his husband's rather pale skin. The elder threads his fingers in Yixing's hair as the scientist laves saliva in the middle of his abdominals, the fluid mixing with the elder's sweat.

 _Thinking about it now_ , Yixing wonders as his tongue travels from one hill to the other on the prince's well-worked abdomen, _I've always wanted to do this._

He remembers the thoughts he had when he first saw a glimpse of the prince's body. Yifan had volunteered to train the younger and unceremoniously stripped the upper portion of his clothes to avoid sweat from clinging to them, leaving nothing but an undershirt, as he moved around and taught Yixing what he needed to know. The scientist also remembers not being able to catch up with the prince’s movements due to the elder's distracting display of his manly figure. Yixing wasn't sure back then if he was jealous that the prince had ripped muscles adorning his body or if he was simply thankful that that body would be his in the future.

Fast forward to the here and now, Yixing still isn't sure, eyeing the beads of sweat rolling down the prince's sides. They haven't even done anything rigorous just yet but Yixing can understand the royal’s state; every time they start something that is even just remotely sexual, the temperature instantly shoots up. He can feel beads of sweat forming on his own forehead as well, some of them even dripping down to join those on the royal's body. The scientist sees Yifan's navel, the small dip into the elder's stomach calling out for him to put his tongue in it. So he dives down once more and darts his tongue out to explore the small cave, swirling the appendage inside and filling it with his saliva. He sucks his own fluid from the small dip as his hands slide up the sides of Yifan's body. The scientist mentally pats himself on the back when he feels the prince slightly lift his hips up, a sign to tell Yixing that there are other parts of his body that need attention.

But Yixing maneuvers his head away from them. After teasing the elder by kissing down from Yifan's navel, he swerves to go to his thigh once he's already been too close to the base of the prince's manhood. The royal groans and tries to move Yixing's head towards his length once more but he loses his strength, his legs turning jelly when he feels the younger's lips nibble at one of his inner thighs while one hand goes up and down the other, his feather light touch making Yifan’s hairs stand on end. The scientist makes certain that the elder's thighs and legs are as well loved as his husband's upper body, kissing, licking, nipping and sucking every inch of skin on the royal's seemingly endless legs. When Yixing finally reaches the prince's feet, he pulls himself up and sits on his shins before lifting one of Yifan's foot up to his chest, bending his legs slightly by the knees. He looks down at the elder's gigantic foot, not the only part of the elder's body that is large seeing as the whole Llwyth population seems to be of giant descent. For a moment, Yixing is thankful that he is not the one bearing their child as he can only imagine how big their child will be considering Yifan's genes. The gratitude slowly changes to worry though, knowing that his husband will be the one suffering in his place.

"You're worrying again." The elder removes his foot from Yixing's hold and props himself up on his elbows, "I told you you should stop doing that," there is concern drawn on his bushy eyebrows, his gaze softening, "Whatever it is you're thinking of right now is unnecessary, so forget about it, hmm?" The elder slides the side of his foot along the younger's leg before hooking the front of it on the swell of Yixing's ass to push the other towards himself, wiggling his eyebrows in a teasing manner, in a way that makes the scientist laugh and forget his worries.

Yixing pulls the elder’s foot from behind him, placing it on his chest once again before darting his tongue out, giving the big toe a testing lick, thankful that the sweat of the Llwyth people barely has any saltiness to it. Despite knowing that though, the prince flinches and tries to get his foot from the younger again but Yixing's hand traveling up and down his leg isn't helping him at all, a groan escaping his lips when the scientist starts sucking on his toes, doing it so sensually with his eyes closed and humming around Yifan's digits.

"Yixing," the prince bemoans, one hand clenched around a ball of bed sheet while the other is skirting near his length, any minute now he will have his fingers wrapped around himself. "Hurry it along," the prince adds when the younger continues to suck on his toes, fingers drumming against his legs, "please."

"You said we should take it slow," Yixing reminds Yifan, releasing the elder's foot and leaning down to kiss up his leg.

"Not _that_ slow," the prince answers back, his words just a mumble as Yixing reaches his groin area again, "Yixing, please." The younger nods this time, his index finger running from the middle of Yifan's ball sacs up to the tip of his erection before Yixing finally wraps his fingers around the hardness. Yifan releases a sigh of contentment after having his husband's fingers around him at last. The sound changes to a long, drawn out moan when the younger starts moving his hand up and down the elder's length, his palm unable to completely cover Yifan's girth. The royal's hand guides Yixing's head towards his stiffness that's standing proud from his crotch. The younger doesn't complain, following his husband's wants and licking up Yifan's length once he's close enough to the prince's manhood.

He smiles to himself when he hears the royal hiss from his action. The younger has given Yifan blowjobs before, surprising the elder the first time he did it for him and praising him the whole time he had the prince's length in his mouth and whenever his tongue bathed it with saliva. Just as before, Yixing licks the whole of Yifan's manhood, every inch of it as he knows he can't swallow the elder's length completely, having given up on deepthroating him many times before because of how long the other is. Yifan doesn't seem to mind that he can't go all the way down though, happy even with just the crown of his erection being swallowed by Yixing's mouth.

 _"Yixing, mnnnn,"_ Yifan moans when Yixing licks up the underside of his length, the tip of the younger's tongue following the vein popping there, _"Xing, Xing."_

The elder's head falls to the pillow and digs into the soft cushion as Yixing dips his tongue into the slit on the the tip of his erection, the sensation that the younger's actions give him strong enough to pull a moan from him. Yixing licks off the precum that's oozing from his husband's cock, wanting to clean him free by sliding his tongue down to follow the dribbling on the front of Yifan's manhood. He finally places the tip on the center of his plump bottom lip, massaging his lips with it until more of Yifan's precum dribbles out of it and straight to his mouth. When the fluid finally reaches him, Yixing engulfs the tip of the elder's cock with his lips, stretching them around it and swirling his tongue before pushing his head further, Yifan's hand pulling him back every now and then to stop him, afraid that he is pushing himself too much just to pleasure the prince. The royal tries his best to lift his head up just to tell Yixing that he need not force himself to anything, knowing that his length will not fit inside the younger’s mouth. However, when he finally gets to voice it out, Yixing’s ears seem to have closed off, the younger gagging as he has covered half of the elder’s shaft with his mouth. His hands stroke the rest of Yifan’s cock that he can’t fit in his mouth, one of his hands sometimes going down to fondle his husband’s sacs, not wanting any part of him to feel neglected, always wanting to please all of him.

“Yixing,” the elder groans, “Xing.” Hearing the prince call out his childhood nickname snaps the scientist out of what he’s doing, looking the elder in the eye, the prince already half-lidded, huffing and puffing from what the scientist has done to his body. Yixing realizes just then that he smells something that he associates to Yifan's arousal, the scent so sweet and pungent that it urges the younger to keep on going with what he is doing. When he swallows the prince's member again, Yifan calls out his name again, "Just do it already."

As much as Yixing wants to follow his husband's commands, he knows that he has to prepare Yifan first, so as not to hurt him with the sudden intrusion. Slowly, Yixing removes one of the hands that he has placed on the prince's balls and lets it travel lower to where his husband's entrance is waiting for him. His fingers come into contact with something wet and viscous, something that the younger only read about in books but never encountered in their previous coital experiences. The smell from before becomes stronger and when he goes lower to suck Yifan's balls into his mouth one by one, he pinpoints the scent to be coming from the prince's entrance, realizing just then that it's the smell of his husband's slick.

The younger gulps at that but is also thankful about the difference between him and the royal; this way he doesn't have to use the lubricant he made from the nectar of different flowers and plants. Yixing lathers his fingers with the thick liquid, making sure that three of his digits are well-coated with the lubricant. Tempted by the smell of Yifan's slick, the younger kisses down the prince's shaft to get to the royal's entrance. Mimicking his husband's ways of making him feel good, Yixing lifts the prince's ass off of the mattress, his eyes met with the well-slicked hole. Because of the combination of Yifan's opening, pinkish and pulsating and the enticing scent of his slick, Yixing can't help himself and he pokes his tongue out to get a taste of his husband. He isn't disappointed. The lubricating fluid is just as sweet as it smells, the younger comparing it to one of the cakes Kyungsoo bakes whenever he has the time for it, but this is definitely more delicious. It must be his love for Yifan that tells him that the fluid is even better as he licks it directly from the elder's flesh.

Yifan arches his back away from the mattress upon feeling Yixing's tongue prod at his entrance, the tip of it outlining the rim and making him want to scream in pleasure, just like how the younger would always react whenever he has his tongue inside Yixing. Obviously following the royal’s usual steps, the younger releases his cock, the heavy flesh hard against Yifan’s stomach as Yixing parts his ass cheeks to be able to taste more of him. The elder does feel a little bit embarrassed by it, understanding now why his husband would always muffle his moans every time he does this to him.

But instead of doing that, Yifan barely suppresses his moans, wanting Yixing to know that he is making him feel good. The younger seems to enjoy his reaction, his tongue lapping at the royal's hole with more vigor than before. Perhaps wanting to take it up a notch, Yixing attempts to insert his tongue into his husband's hole, parting Yifan's ass cheeks to get a better view of the elder's opening even with only the sparse light of the moon. Moans, sounds that Yifan hasn’t produced ever before, come out of his lips as he feels Yixing's tongue probing his walls, getting a first hand taste of him. The sounds do not stop from coming out especially when Yixing wriggles his tongue as he pulls out. The younger repeats this movement a few times, amused by the prince's reaction, only completely pulling away from his husband's opening when Yifan starts pulling his hair harshly, a sign that he has already enjoyed Yixing’s actions too much and that he needs them to take the next step.

The scientist moves up once again, licking from the elder's perineum up to the tip of his cock, his hand grabbing the elder's shaft again, providing it with the friction it missed the last few minutes. After a few whines from Yifan, the younger decides that he should start following his husband's wishes. With one of his hands still stroking his husband's cock, his tongue lapping at the crown of it, Yixing, slowly but surely inserts his index finger into the prince. The royal's eyes pop open in surprise at the unexpected intrusion, the younger releasing his cock to allow apologies to pour from his lips. But the elder dismisses them, telling Yixing that he was just surprised and that the scientist need not prepare Yifan any more.

The younger doesn't seem to agree with it though, not removing his finger even as he feels the his husband relax around it, "No, I don't want to hurt you."

“Yixing,” the prince calls out to him with an appealing tone, “just put it in.” Yifan hopes the command will be enough for the younger to follow. When he sees that Yixing isn't budging, he adds, “Don’t you trust me?”

That seems to hit a spot as Yixing's face falls and his lips jut out into a pout, pulling his finger away from Yifan's entrance. The younger looks down to himself before muttering, “I do but I don’t trust myself.”

"Love," Yifan waits for Yixing to lift his gaze once more, even if he knows that he has the other's attention, "you should. I trust you, shouldn't that be enough of a reassurance to trust yourself as well?"

"But," Yixing's head snaps up, "what if I accidentally hurt you because I didn't do those things?"

Yifan struggles to pull himself up to a sitting position, the lengthy foreplay having melted his body into the mattress. He places his hands on either side of Yixing's face and lightly shakes the younger, "I know why you're doing this but our bodies are different, Yixing."

"Just," Yixing, in a moment of courage, lifts his eyes up to meet Yifan's, the eyes that always make him feel weak because of their intensity, the elder's gaze now soft with his own plea, "let me do this, please."

Coming to an understanding that Yixing will not budge until this request is allowed, Yifan heaves a breath and nods, knowing that there is no other way out of this as he is well aware of his husband's caring tendencies. The younger smiles at him, the light from Yifan's eyes reflected in his brown orbs. Yixing leans forward a bit to kiss the elder before pushing him gently to rest his head against the pillow and his back on the mattress. The scientist moves down to kiss the elder's bent knee before spreading his legs open once more. Yifan relaxes and indulges his husband with what the younger wants to do, enjoying it himself as Yixing thrusts his fingers in and out of him, his movements hesitant at first but slowly turning brave with the prince's encouragement. Trying to be bolder than before, the younger reaches for the royal's cock and swallows the tip, just enough to tease Yifan and keep him on the edge, the scientist making sure that his husband is feeling pleasure throughout the whole experience. When Yixing feels around inside to find the other’s prostate, Yifan squirms a little, small moans slipping out of his lips continuously as he tries to help the younger by moving his hips to meet his husband's fingers.

"Ah!" The noise Yifan produces is one Yixing has never heard before, the same goes for the other pleasured sounds his husband has made him listen to leading up to this point. The younger angles his thrust in and makes sure that he hits that very same spot, smiling when he elicits a similar reaction to before, this time louder and more open. The prince clutches onto the bed sheets and tries his best to control himself, not wanting to release before his husband does. It being a union of their bodies, he wants for them to reach their peaks at almost the same time. Yifan tries to vocalize the younger's name to get his attention but only manages to say either the first syllable or the second. Yixing seems to understand him even without the royal being able to say much because he gradually pulls his fingers out, collecting some of the elder's slick in his hand to coat his own cock.

"I should," Yifan tries to pull himself up but Yixing lightly pushes him back down, knowing exactly what the elder is going to try to do. The younger crawls over his husband, kissing from his navel up until he reaches the prince's lips, capturing them and making the elder swallow the words he wanted to say. His cock, hard and heavy, slides over the royal's manhood to let the elder know that nothing else needs to be done, that they are good to go.

"Are you...ready?" Yixing hesitantly asks, lips brushing against Yifan's as his hand reaches for his erection to spread the lubricant on it. The prince smiles and cranes his neck up to kiss his husband in assent before the younger slides down a bit lower, hand guiding his cock to where the royal's opening is. When the elder spreads his legs again, Yixing momentarily blushes and stops short, only continuing his movements when Yifan encourages him.

Compared to when they started, he has more courage now, only gulping once, twice in anticipation when he sees his husband's hole, gaping as the elder spreads his ass with his own hands. Yixing aligns his length with Yifan's hole and with a deep inhale he slowly inserts his cock into his husband. The warmth makes him groan, the sensation he has never felt before taking over his body and momentarily making him forget not to push in too fast. The elder's whimper pulls him back to reality and makes him stop when just the tip of his cock is inside Yifan. The younger looks down at his husband's face, finding his eyes shut tight and his bottom lip trapped in between his teeth, an expression he has never seen on the other before. It makes him stop and worry, especially when the elder's hands are clutching tightly on the bed sheets around him, the fabrics soaked with their sweat.

"It's...it's alright..." Yifan manages to breathe out when he feels Yixing stop, "Go ahead, move."

Even though reluctantly, the younger pushes his cock past the elder's entrance, watching with bated breath as the prince's opening swallows his length, stopping once again when he is partially in. He looks up to Yifan again to see if his husband is doing well. The erotic expression painted on the royal's face jolts him and makes him groan once more, pushing slightly forward until almost all of him is inside his husband. The moan that slips past Yifan's lips has him pushing even more to bottom out, urging him to make the elder produce the same sound again, liking the noise and the effects it has on both his cock and his ego. It surprises him that when he has finally filled his husband, Yifan lets out an even more lewd noise, the sound stirring his insides and making him want to push more even if there is nothing left for him to continue. He braces himself for the full assault of Yifan's warm walls around his cock now that he isn't thinking and worrying about anything else but the way the prince wraps around him, how his cock fits snugly inside his husband, how perfect it feels to be there and how great it is to be one with Yifan, to be connected with him in a way different from what they are used to. A groan involuntarily slips from his mouth when these thoughts pop into his mind, catching Yifan's attention who suddenly moves his hips.

"You can move now, Yixing," the prince instructs the younger, reaching for the hand that the other placed on his knee earlier. Yixing nods and just as slowly as he pushed in, he slides his cock out at the same speed. The elder whines to him that there is no need to go slow anymore as he's already adjusted well to his girth but the scientist doesn't listen, not hurrying his pace until he has thrusted in and out for a good amount of times.

"Faster, love," Yifan demands, his hand tightening on Yixing's as the younger's pace starts picking up, his thighs sliding smoothly against the sides of the prince's ass. The scientist releases the royal's hand and slides his own down to hold onto the elder's thighs as an anchor before he follows through with his husband's wishes, knowing that he will need somewhere to hold on to to be able to move at a pace that Yifan deems to be fast enough to make the elder keen. Using his little knowledge of dance, Yixing rolls his hips, his body forming a wave with every thrust. Yifan's pleas for him to move fast die in his throat as Yixing repeats the motion, the tip of the younger's cock brushing his sweet spot. After being able to enjoy the new sounds he is able to pull out of Yifan, the scientist finally works to speed up. He suddenly pistons in and out his husband, surprising the elder and breaking his moan in the middle when Yixing starts ramming his cock faster than before, the pace increasing by the second. The sound of skin slapping against skin adds up to the sensual noises that are filling their room, bouncing off the walls, glass domes and windows before traveling back to their origin. They make their way into Yixing's ears again, deeming it not enough for the younger to hear them only once during their intercourse.

Yixing has a hard time keeping his eyelids fully open, his eyes only in slits as he looks down at his husband, Yifan's body covered in sweat due to the rise in temperature and the rigorous movements he has subjected himself to earlier, moving his hips against the younger to get more friction. Now the elder is just lying on the bed, one hand pulling at the edges of the pillow beneath him while the other roams all over his chest, in hopes of adding stimulation to other parts of his body. Upon seeing this, the younger slows his movements to caress his hands up the royal's torso, his body leaning down and forward as well, making sure his hips don't stop rocking into his husband.

Yifan welcomes Yixing with a kiss, their lips moving languidly, resembling the way the younger's hips are rolling against the royal’s in a relaxed pace. In between their kisses, the prince feels his husband's fingers press down on his nipples and rub them, the stimulation pushing him to beg Yixing to move faster once more. The royal reaches for one of the pillows and instructs the other to place it under his ass. So Yixing does, the slight lift of the elder's ass allowing his cock to be closer to where the prince's sensitive bundle of nerves is located. When he moves back in to kiss Yifan again, he is surprised to hear the elder let out a louder than usual moan, the sound bordering on a scream and drawing out as he leans forward even further.

 _"Yixing, there, there, stay there,"_ the royal pleads and places both of his hands behind Yixing, grabbing onto the younger's ass as he does so. _"There…it feels good…there."_ He wouldn’t have needed to say it as Yixing watches the sensuous expressions take over his husband’s face again. The younger obliges, squeaking a little when he feels Yifan's hands spreading his ass cheeks apart and the royal’s long fingers reaching for his ass hole. He doesn't deny the elder of what he wants to do as it pleasures him as well, pushing his ass back a little to answer the prodding fingers at his entrance, fucking himself back onto the cold and wet appendages as he keeps doing the same to his husband.

The elder's cock, hard and erect in between them, feels like it is getting hotter with every rub of Yixing's stomach against it and the prince can feel a flipping and coiling in his gut, turning and churning at the sensations he is being subjected to.

 _"Please,"_ he pleads, _"rub there, more,"_ and when Yixing does massage the tip of his cock to where he knows the prince is wanting the sensation, the royal is reduced to a moaning mess, his climax slowly closing in on him as the younger moves in and out with unrelenting thrusts. The pleasure of his manhood rubbing against the royal's walls, pushes Yixing to feel more, the squelching sound of their connection urging him to hear more and Yifan's out of breath moans and calls of his name are the last string for him to lean further down. He connects his lips to the elder's as his hips move even faster, pushing his cock as deep as he can to give himself and the prince more, more and more.

Something uncoils in the prince's gut and even in his hazy state he still feels the liquid rising up, close to coming out. But even so, he doesn't get to warn the younger, the gasp he lets out unhelpful in giving the other a hint before the fluid spurts between their stomachs, white, hot and copious. The prince's whole body arches away from the mattress, his length rubbing with his husband's body, his juices released with the help of the friction, his hands weak and unable to reach down to touch himself. The younger pushes his stomach down, not minding the sticky fluid there and if anything his pace just starts becoming faster. The elder, in his addled mind, prepares himself for the warmth that is going to erupt within him, for his husband to fill him up.

The sensations overcome Yixing; the elder's entrance clenching and releasing his cock in a maddening way, tightening around him whenever he pulls out as if it doesn't want the younger's length to be anywhere but inside the royal. Yifan's moans and the way Yixing’s name comes breathily and sexily out of his husband's mouth doesn't help either in making him hold out but as soon as the elder reaches his climax, Yixing lets go and allows himself to lose it as well.

 _"Cum, Xing, inside. Lots,"_ Yifan pants, watching the younger with half-lidded eyes as the other keeps moving above him, his face just a hair’s breadth away from him. And Yixing does. A grunt is all that escapes him as his orgasm takes over his body, his lips forming an 'o' afterwards as he pants while his ejaculate paints his husband's insides white for the first time. He joins Yifan in the euphoric bliss of their orgasms, enjoying the moment, the way Yifan's arms are now around his waist and his neck, keeping their foreheads planted together as he milks himself empty into the elder's cavity. In the middle of their sweat-slicked bodies moving against each other, their moans and panting change to the name of the other, falling from their lips, a prayer and a praise. Yixing's erratic thrusts are enough to help both of them. With his lips connected to Yifan's, one of his hands somehow finds its way to the elder's cock to help him empty his release between them.

“I love you,” Yifan professes as the younger's thrusts turn shallow and slow, milking the last of their orgasms by rocking his hips gently against his husband's. The prince repeats the words over and over, switching from English to the Llwyth language, even going as far as remembering the phrase Yixing taught him as its equivalent in his native tongue.

Yixing stops at some point, his cock buried deep into the prince, cradled by both his husband's tight heat and the warmth of his release that is filling Yifan's insides and coating his member. He looks up, and with confidence and a glimmer of affection in his eyes, the younger kisses his husband, the smile evident in his eyes as he replies, _“Rwy'n dy garu di'n fwy.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ word/phrase/sentence (language): meaning]
> 
>  
> 
> Życzenie (P): Wish/Desire
> 
>  
> 
> Amser maith yn ôl (W): Long time ago
> 
> Rwy'n dy garu di'n fwy (W): I love you more


	7. Cynseren

After Yixing has gotten used to the idea of taking the lead in bed, it grows normal for them to lie together with reproduction in mind on a regular basis, the scientist on top and inside of the royal and not the other way around. Every time the scientist assumes control, memories of the first time Yixing took Yifan, the elder's body stretched beneath him and his entrance open for him, plays on the back of his eyelids and they urge him to make the royal feel good, to see the same reactions again, maybe even a few more. Sometimes the act is done after the prince has filled the other as well, Yifan tempting his younger husband into taking him even in his exhausted state.

Two days after Yixing last decided to take Yifan, this time by his own initiative, the younger is shaken from his sleep with good news, his eyes meeting Yifan’s agitated ones. He sees his husband’s mouth moving but with his mind still asleep, it takes him a minute to understand what the prince is telling him, as if his eardrums are also still in the process of waking up.

“I’m pregnant!” The prince exclaims repeatedly, brandishing the tablet in front of the younger, the screen showing a graph with Llwyth words that the younger cannot understand at the moment because he can’t focus well just yet, his brain unable to translate the written words to English so soon after being roused. “Yixing, I’m pregnant!”

The eyes of the scientist open wide when the sentence registers in his brain, his gaze moving from the tablet to Yifan's face. The royal is wearing a smile that the younger thinks might split the other’s face in half if it stretched any further. Yixing doesn’t remember ever seeing the elder look as happy as he is now. The gummy smile blinding him at the moment is enough to make him mirror it, the similar stretch of lips showing his dimple as he wraps his arms around Yifan.

"I'm so happy," the younger whispers directly to Yifan's ear, "so, so happy."

Without him even noticing it, teardrops start rolling down his cheeks as the weight of the prince's words finally settles in.

 _We're pregnant._ The thought repeats itself in Yixing's mind, increasing the tears streaming down his face and surprising Yifan when he extracts himself from the younger's embrace.

The prince cups Yixing's cheeks, his thumbs wiping the saline liquid away from his husband's cheeks. With concern replacing the joy in his eyes, he asks, "Love, why are you crying?"

Yixing hiccups and sniffles, pushing the heels of his palms against his eye sockets, hoping to stop the tears from falling, "I'm just happy," he explains as his blurry gaze meet Yifan's once more. The prince smiles again, the concern erased by the small laugh Yixing let's out after giving a reason for his tears. They find themselves in an embrace again, the younger listening to his husband's explanation about the chart while they are huddled in bed. They sit against the headboard as they talk, still naked and sharing their combined warmth to their child, their hands intertwined and placed over Yifan's belly.

 

The royal couple marches into Lu Han’s office after getting dressed, Yixing making Yifan skip work for the first hours of the day to confirm his pregnancy before doing anything else. When the royal healer comes back with news that the heir really is carrying a child, the couple are once again overjoyed, their earlier reaction to the news repeating, if not showing even more of the joy that they feel because now they are 100% certain.

Since the royal has to tend to his duties and the younger has to stay back for his lessons, they leave Lu Han's office with the healer telling them that they have to return to him after fifteen days for Yifan's next check-up. The couple thanks the royal healer for his services and make sure to place a reminder in their tablets about their next appointment with the healer. The royal couple parts with Yixing reminding his husband to be careful and not to stress out too much at work. Yifan gives the younger a goodbye kiss and a reassurance that he will keep himself out of harm’s way.

The scientist makes a detour to Lu Han’s office before going to his lessons, wanting to ask for advice regarding his husband’s pregnancy as he doesn’t have neither the knowledge nor experience in the field. He already has barely any knowledge to draw from when it comes to human pregnancy, let alone pregnancy of otherworldly beings. There are many questions floating around in the younger's mind; if there is anything that he needs to take note of, any special rules about taking care of his pregnant husband, how similar a human pregnancy is to a Llwyth one, just to name a few. Thankfully the healer is still in his office when the scientist knocks on his door.

Lu Han asks him to come in and have a seat, and Yixing follows the other’s offer, slightly trembling now that the weight of Yifan's pregnancy suddenly sinks in.

"Yixing?" The elder reaches out to him and shakes his shoulder to get his attention, tilting his head to the side when the human doesn't say anything.

"S-sorry," Yixing shakes his head to wake himself from his stupor. "Lu Han, I just wanted to ask a few things about Yifan's pregnancy." The elder hums, nodding for him to continue. "We've only brushed over it in our lessons, so I don't really know much about what Yifan will have to go through during that period."

"Ah, I see," Lu Han reaches for something behind him, a drink, Yixing notes, that the elder hands to him, "Drink this first and calm down."

"But I am–" Yixing wants to retort that he's fine, he's calm, but his hand shakes when he lifts it to accept the drink from the healer. The elder's smug smile makes him turn quiet, reaching for the glass and taking a few gulps before placing it on the table.

"What do you want to know?" Lu Han asks, reaching for snacks this time, telling Yixing that this talk will take a while.

"A…lot?" The younger raises one eyebrow, the quiver in his voice giving away the mix of hesitance and nervousness he’s feeling. Lu Han chuckles lightly at the other's answer, shaking his head at the younger's obvious lack of knowledge regarding pregnancy.

"Eat up," the elder pushes the plate of snacks towards Yixing, "This is going to be long."

 

Yixing misses his lessons that day, only remembering about them halfway through his lesson time when his communication device vibrates in his pocket. He apologizes to his tutor, telling him he is in the middle of an important talk with Lu Han, even going so far as to hint at the prince's pregnancy, making his tutor allow him to skip his lessons for the day.

After thanking Lu Han for being his fountain of knowledge, Yixing bolts to the kitchen to make sure that at dinner tonight they’ll serve Yifan's favorites, even partaking in preparing some of the dishes for that night so that he can ensure that his husband is going to be served the freshest vegetables in a well-cooked, nutritious meal.

Yifan is surprised to see Yixing waiting by the entrance near the garage when he returns, his hair dusted with a white powdery substance, something green smeared on his cheek. When the elder asks why the scientist looks slightly disheveled, Yixing only answers by pulling the other towards the dining room, the table prepared with Yifan’s favorite dishes, the rest of the royal family already seated in their rightful places. The prince wonders if Yixing became too excited and spilled the news without him but the members of the royal family look like they usually do, no one is overly excited with the exception of Lu Han who is smiling brightly at him, being the only one who currently knows about the heir’s pregnancy.

Yixing is far more attentive to him however, taking care of Yifan more than before, even going as far as to pull the prince's chair for him and surprising the elder by having his plate already prepared for him with a piece of every dish on the table. The royal attributes it to Yixing wanting to take on the role of a caring and supporting husband.

"Have you told them?" Yifan turns to his beloved and wipes the green mush off the younger's cheek, his tone hushed so as not to catch the attention of the others at the table.

The younger tilts his head to the side, his face scrunching for a bit as if he doesn't understand what his husband is referring to. His eyes light up with understanding when the elder points to his own belly, and the younger sucks on his spoon as he shakes his head. Yifan nods, more to himself than to his husband, and lowers his hand to take Yixing's, straightening up in his seat and scanning the table to see his family enjoying their food. When he meets eyes with Lu Han, the healer smiles and nods, his hand waving towards the rest of the royal family as if to urge the prince to make the important announcement. So Yifan does.

The prince clears his throat, catching his father's attention before the whole table goes quiet, all eyes falling to him. His grasp on Yixing's hand tightens and the squeeze is reciprocated by the younger. When the king asks Yifan if the heir has anything to say, the scientist looks up to his husband. Yifan opens his mouth then closes it, seeing a crease of worry on his parent’s face. As he stays silent he feels Yixing's other hand wrap around his arm, squeezing and caressing it to give him courage. He looks beside him, to his husband's beautiful brown orbs and smiles, the happiness they felt in the early hours of the day coming back to him. The prince turns to look at his family once more with a smile on his face as he finally says, "I'm pregnant."

After giving the news to the royal family that Yifan is pregnant, which are followed by many hugs, congratulatory words and kisses of gratitude from the queen to the couple, they only wait for three days before announcing it to the people of Tuhwntmae’rsêr. The whole planet rejoices for the continuation of the royal bloodline and the people show their congratulations by sending gifts to the royal couple, filling the palace to the brim once more.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Although Yifan keeps insisting that he can still fulfill his duties even with his pregnancy, Yixing steps forward and forbids him from working, wanting his husband to stay in the palace to avoid anything that might cause him, and eventually their baby, stress. The younger has never really been the type to put himself forward and take responsibility, not until the need arises at least, but with his husband carrying their first child, he wants the elder to be careful and not have to worry about anything but what he will eat next.

"It's only going to be for a hundred and fifty days, Yifan," the scientist argues when he proposes the idea of him taking over the prince's duties while the other is pregnant. When Yifan opens his mouth to rebut, the younger adds, "Please, Love, for me and our child."

With a deep sigh, the royal resigns to his husband’s wishes and starts lecturing him about what Yixing’s duties will be for the next 150 days. Even with Yixing tagging along to the prince’s visits to Sonnenstadt every now and then, the younger is still quite oblivious when it comes to the duties the royal needs to fulfill because Yixing is always either there to visit the children in the school or in the library or to have a good chat with the horticulturists, especially when he comes back from a visit to Smaragdwald. The first thing they do is have Yifan transfer his schedule to Yixing's tablet, reminding the younger that he doesn't need to go to the city or to anywhere else on the planet as long as nothing out of the ordinary happens. The prince advises him to do most of the work in the palace where the royal can guide him, something that the scientist is more than glad to oblige to.

Ever since they got married, the elder started bringing more of his work home, in comparison to before when the prince would go to visit Sonnenstadt or look over the production of rain for most of the day before returning to Dinas Hynafol. Now the heir usually spends only three to four hours, sometimes five, outside of the palace before coming back to work in his office. And when there is no need for him to go to Sonnenstadt or to walk around Mondstadt, he stays in his chambers with Yixing, either to work alongside his other half or to teach him.

In order to shoulder the heir’s duties during the elder’s pregnancy, Yixing recruits the help of Prince Arian, who has insisted for the human to call him Sehun instead as it reminds him of the scientist's crew. The younger prince is more than happy to share the workload with his brother-in-law, even offering to be the one to go on the visits to Sonnenstadt where he needs to talk to the people, seeing as Yixing's command of the Llwyth language is still far from perfect. The scientist thanks him for his offer of aid but insists to still come along, telling the younger prince that he needs to get used to the work as well and interacting with people who cannot speak his language will be a good practice. Sehun doesn't argue with Yixing, impressed by his brother-in-law's enthusiasm to learn.

Despite his insistence for Yifan to rest, Yixing doesn’t oppose when the royal tells him that he will be coming along for the first day as he wants to personally talk to the people who his husband will meet with.

"To threaten them not to do anything to you," the elder smirks when he sees the scientist blush and stop his hand mid air from giving a punch, a weak one, to the prince's chest.

"I've met them all before, Yifan." The younger instead busies himself with his clothes, shrugging his robes to the side for the mean time to don a new set that resembles the ones the prince wears, a grey tunic with designs embroidered with an emerald-coloured thread. "They are all very good people, as all Llwyth people are."

The prince helps the scientist with fixing the clasp of his cloak, pulling the heavy fabric close to the middle of his husband's collarbones as he says, "I just want to be sure that no one hurts my beloved." This time he leans down and gives Yixing a peck before pulling the younger's hand to leave their bedroom and get to work.

The first day is bearable as they don't need to meet anyone in particular or do anything difficult, it's just Yifan's normal run around the city to see how everyone is doing and if there is anything that needs to be looked after that hasn't been relayed to the palace. The royal pushes Yixing to interact more with the people they meet in the streets and the different branches of work in the city. Sehun chats with those they come across as well, talking about Yixing and how he will be taking over the heir's duties alongside the young prince while Yifan is pregnant. The people welcome the human warmly, going as far as addressing him as Prince Yixing, despite the fact that the scientist doesn't want to be called a prince. But he plays along and understands that they still want to show their respect even if he himself says that there is no need to do so. They come back to Dinas Hynafol after just two hours of walking around Sonnenstadt, Yixing reminding Yifan that he needs as much rest as possible and although it is good for the prince's pregnancy to have a bit of exercise by walking, the younger is afraid that his husband will push himself too hard and do much more than he is allowed to.

The next few days have Yixing leave for Sonnenstadt with Sehun only, Yifan watching as their vehicle flies past the entrance of the palace. The prince spends the hours that Yixing isn't home reading some books from his library that he hasn't had the chance to touch yet and walking around the palace. On these walks, he is being followed every single time by either a servant or Lu Han and whenever the heir asks for them to leave, without fail, the servants always answer: "Prince Yixing's orders, Your Highness." Even if the prince grumbles about how there is no need to follow him everywhere he goes, deep inside he feels warm because even with his husband being in a different part of the planet, he can still feel the younger's care for him.

The prince does need a few days to adjust to being jobless, finding himself doing the things that were assigned to Sehun to pass the time when he gets too bored from reading and waiting for his husband to return, busying himself with other mundane things that he can find to keep himself occupied while Yixing is away. The amount of care that the younger shows him makes up for being palace bound however. Yixing, after all, calls him every other minute to make sure that the prince is alright, to ask if he's had his meal or his snack, to ask whether there is anything he wants for Yixing to bring back from the city; as if there were anything that they don't have in the palace. Sometimes, and those are the calls that Yifan likes the most, Yixing calls just to say he misses the prince. Those days Yixing always comes home with an exhausted expression that immediately disappears however when he sees Yifan.

It is on such a day that Yixing finds the royalin the garden, the younger's day having been filled to brim, starting off with the couple going to Lu Han for the elder's check-up before Yixing left for Sonnenstadt to go through a flurry of meetings with Sehun's assistance. The scientist rubs his face into Yifan's broad back, liking the kind of warmth emanating from the prince, so much more comfortable compared to the heat of the sun during his time in Sonnenstadt. The elder just allows his husband to do as he pleases, watering the flowers that Yixing has no time for anymore because of his new workload and his ongoing lessons, as the younger nuzzles his face on the royal's back and lets his hands caress up and down his husband's body.

"I brought you that fruit you wanted," Yixing murmurs after a while, calling for Jongin's name to make the guard come in with a basket in hand, leaving just as quickly as he entered once he has placed the basket onto the bench. "Seriously, why do you like that?" The younger gingerly pulls away from Yifan to guide them to the bench, "When we were in the forest you told me you hate the taste of it," he continues as he extracts the fruit from the plaited container.

It is reminiscent of a dragon fruit but instead of the pink and green colour on the outside, it has a pale blue colour with two orange stripes in the middle of each scale covering it. The inside of it resembles that of an avocado with one huge seed, the surrounding of it white and, as far as Yixing can remember, more bitter than an uncooked bittergourd.

"I don't know, I just suddenly want to eat it," the elder replies as he watches Yixing slice the fruit in half with his knife, mouth watering at the mere thought of eating the delicacy in his husband's hand. He is giddy when the younger finally finishes cutting it, handing the royal the piece without the seed before handing him a spoon. Yifan happily devours the bitter fruit, Yixing watching with amusement from beside him as he empties the half that he has in his hands. Once the prince has consumed two of the fruits, he gives the younger a big kiss, like a child would to their parents when they get something they wanted. Yifan knows, even if Yixing doesn't tell him, that the younger had to go to the forest to be able to bring home what his husband wanted. Unfortunately for Yixing, the fruit is not something that can be easily found on the markets of Sonnenstadt or Mondstadt, not even in the food storage of the palace, because the couple only stumbled upon the fruit during their three-day vacation in Smaragdwald and therefore the people of Tuhwntmae’rsêr are still largely unaware of its existence. It doesn’t even have a name yet, as neither of the royal couple have yet thought of one.

"Thank you," Yifan adds after giving Yixing one more peck on the lips, drawing the younger close, "for everything."

"Just trying to be a good husband," Yixing replies, nuzzling his nose against the elder's neck, "and a good father," he adds as he places his hand over Yifan's stomach, the elder's bump more noticeable now that he is forty-seven days in.

The prince gasps a little upon hearing the younger's words, "But you already are."

Yixing reaches his hand up to the elder's face to get himself a kiss, "You flatter me."

"I cannot lie, Yixing," the prince whispers against his lips, "I'm a royal and royals cannot, and must not, lie.”

This makes the younger chuckle and nod his head, do whatever it takes to make his husband happy as he is afraid that the change in the prince’s hormones might make him suddenly break down and cry after hearing something that he could take offense at.

"Hey," Yixing calls out to the royal when they have bathed enough in the silence and the glow of the Serenliebes. He continues only when the elder hums, his hand caressing Yixing's back as if the younger is the one carrying their child and not him, the prince doing it as a reward for Yixing for working hard that day, "Do you want to go on a vacation?"

Yifan's eyes light up at the word, pulling away from Yixing to see if his husband is actually meaning his words or not, "I just thought that you're so used to being out of the palace that maybe you're already sick of being confined here." The scientist wrings his hands, clearly unsure of his words but the thought behind it pushing him to continue, "It would be a change in view, so to speak."

When Yixing looks up to meet Yifan's eyes, the sapphire and golden orbs are filled with joy but he still asks, "How does that sound?"

The smile Yifan has on his face is something Yixing can liken to when the elder told him that they are having a baby, the stretch of his lips showing both his teeth and gums, the younger's favorite thing to see.

"It sounds good, great even," the prince squeezes the younger’s hand, "I'd love to go on a vacation with you."

 

"I hope you don't mind that I'm taking you to our honeymoon spot again," Yixing tells Yifan as Jongin and Zitao drive their vehicle towards Tuch aus Diamanten, "I also have something I need to show you."

The prince shakes his head to show that he doesn’t mind at all, if the smile on his face is not enough of an indication already that he really doesn’t. The younger doesn't need to tell Jongin where to go as the guard already knows of their plans, deviating from their usual path to go around to the other side of the forest that is directly hit by the sun.

Yifan's eyes open in astonishment as he sees the other side of the mountains that surrounds Smaragdwald. Back in the day, the area was plain, just a mound of soil but now Yifan can see patches of green on the side, trees having sprouted there, still small in size but enough to give colour to the otherwise lifeless land. He smiles towards Yixing when the younger tells him, “We’ve sent samples for Lu Han to check whether they are new species but so far, the ones he has examined are of the same kind as the ones found inside the forest.” The prince nods, proud of his husband’s discovery, proving to be fit for taking on the job in his behalf. He lets the information sink in, his eyes lingering on the trees even as they pull away to get to the shoreline of Tuch aus Diamanten.

When they arrive, Jongin and Zitao haul some of the luggage that the couple have brought with them to the cabin, leaving right away after bringing them inside. Just as before, the couple has the whole forest to themselves and the prince doesn’t even attempt to ask Yixing about work because the next few days are supposed to be rest days for both the younger and for him, although the scientist might need the down time more as resting is all that Yifan has been doing for the whole first trimester of his pregnancy.

All the lights on the clearing are turned on, giving their little love nest a warm glow as Yixing has decided to scatter a few lanterns around the spring. Like before, Yifan suggests for them to take a dip in the spring. Yixing doesn't reject the idea but he is extra careful of his husband, making sure to assist the elder as he goes down even if the prince doesn't really need any kind of help yet. This time however they do nothing but enjoy the warmth of the spring water as they share stories about their days with each other. Every now and then, Yixing has to get out of the water to fetch a fruit for his husband, the same pale blue one that has yet to be named. They have tossed around funny names for it but none has stuck so far. The younger is surprised that even coming into the second trimester of his pregnancy, Yifan is still craving for the same fruit. Not that Lu Han told him that the craving will wane at any point in the pregnancy, it’s just that the prince has been eating the bitter food almost everyday, so Yixing thought he would have gotten sick of it by now. The royal hasn’t, however, and to ensure that he doesn't have to leave the comfort of the spring again, Yixing fills a basket with the fruits the second time he has to come out of the water to get one as his husband seems to eat them as if they are candies.

After spending enough time in the spring for their skin to wrinkle, they haul themselves out of the water, Yixing always there to assist his husband. They use the shower in the cabin to properly cleanse themselves, with only a few kisses here and there, nothing more as they keep their time in the small space sweet and short. They dress each other up for the night, Yifan choosing the matching pajamas that he had asked the tailor to make for them to use after their wedding but they never got to actually wear them because they, mostly after the prince's urging, chose to stay naked throughout their little honeymoon vacation. After Yixing has fluffed their pillows and pulled back the blanket for them to lay on the mattress, he sits on the edge of the bed and beckons the elder to join him. Yifan's gaze however lingers outside where the lanterns are still turned on, giving life to the sleeping forest. Thinking that the elder is worried about the lights, Yixing tells him, "I'll turn them all off once you get into bed."

"No, that's not it," Yifan answers before facing him, "Can we sleep outside?"

"Outside?"

Yifan nods his head once before looking out again, the combination of the glow of the lanterns and the reflection of the moonlight on the surface of the spring looking temptingly warm and calling for him to join them on the grass-covered land.

With pleading eyes, he looks at Yixing again, "Please?"

"But Lu Han said–"

The elder interrupts his husband, a hint of anger tinting his voice, "Lu Han isn't here."

The younger straightens up, startled by the royal's tone even though he knows it is most likely just the other’s hormones making it hard for him to control himself. The prince apologizes for his behaviour immediately after and Yixing reassures him that it is alright, that he understands. The scientist stays reluctant to move outside however, and one part of Yifan wants to give up and just sleep indoors but a stronger part of him wants to be out there, to smell the scent of the Serenliebes that his younger husband also likes so very much, "Please, Tala?"

Yifan rarely uses the name he has given Yixing, making it harder for the younger to turn down the prince's request, "Alright, stay here while I move the mattress outside."

"I'll help," Yifan moves forward, palms on the blanket.

"I'll do it," Yixing answers with a smile, handing Yifan their pillows, knowing that the elder still has that instinct to be the one to take care of Yixing and do things for the younger, even fifty five days into his pregnancy, "just hold on to these for me."

The prince, surprisingly, doesn't look dejected at his offer of help being declined but Yixing attributes it to the fact that the elder got what he wants. The scientist opens the door of their cabin and moves the blanket to the chair to be able to move the mattress by himself. And despite it being bigger than his husband, he manages to slide it out of the cabin and place it just outside the entrance, near their small house. He then comes back in to fetch the blanket and pull Yifan along with him. The elder, even with his behemoth height, acts like a child at a theme park waiting to get his cotton candy or to ride the rollercoaster he wanted to try as he watches Yixing fix the bed sheet before getting asked to lie down. The younger places the blanket over their bodies as he settles beside Yifan, the prince welcoming him with open arms.

For a moment they just look at the moon that is peeking from the hole in the middle canopy above them, created by the trees surrounding them. As always the celestial body is a beautiful pearl in the sky, lighting the whole forest as sleep slowly takes over their heavy bodies. Just when the younger is about to fall into the world of slumber, the prince calls out to him.

"Yixing?" The younger hums from where he is hiding in the crook of the royal's neck, wanting to still be an attentive husband despite the heavy weight of exhaustion that is sitting on his eyelids. "What do you think we should name our child?"

The question startles Yixing, his senses suddenly awake and his hand instinctively rubbing over Yifan's belly, "What do you think should we name him?"

"What if _he_ is a girl?" Hearing this, the younger pulls away to look up at the prince with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"You’re right, we don’t know the gender yet. Maybe," he keeps rubbing the elder's baby bump, a smile slowly etching itself on his face, "we should choose a name that can be used for both sexes?"

Yifan nods before looking up at the sky, the black blanket dotted with many stars that are located in the closest and farthest corners of the galaxy, some of them as bright as Yixing and some of them still foundlings in the sense of the cosmos’ age. That’s when it hits the elder.

 _"Cynseren,"_ he mumbles as he looks at some stars that he can only guess to be protostars.

"A young star," Yixing replies as he also looks up at the night sky as well, seeing if he can find one of the dots of light that may have been the inspiration for the elder's suggestion.

"I see you've been studying well," the prince teases his husband, a large hand coming down to cover the one rubbing circles on his stomach.

"Of course, I have to," the younger responds with a small smile on his face, "Also, your language is beautiful." Yixing remembers that when his tutor told him that it is time to do advanced words, he eagerly sifted through pages of a dictionary for words related to the cosmos, his unoccupied hand poised to write words down that intrigued him.

"So is yours," Yifan smiles at him, pushing a stray strand of Yixing’s hair back and tucking it behind his ear. The younger pushes himself up on his elbows to give Yifan a kiss on the lips before trailing them down the middle of the prince's torso, placing his mouth gently against the protruding belly.

"Do you like that name, baby?" Yixing asks their unborn child, "Cynseren?"

There seems to be no reaction but the scientist isn't too concerned as Lu Han informed him that they they won’t get to feel movement until halfway through pregnancy and they are still quite a long way from the middle of their 150 days.

"I think our child likes it," Yifan answers on behalf of the resident in his belly but the younger seems keen on teasing the other despite his own exhaustion as he sees something poking from beneath the prince's pajama bottoms.

"Are you sure our child is the one who likes it?" Yixing brushes his fingers over the tent that is forming in the elder's bottoms, enjoying the moan he elicits from his husband. Among the boundless knowledge that Lu Han has given to him, one of the things that particularly stuck with Yixing is the fact that Yifan, being pregnant with his hormones out of control, will have times when he is easily excitable and just plainly hornier than usual. And Yixing is more than willing to take care of whatever his husband's needs are.

Where before, the scientist would always blush whenever the topic of sex is brought up, now it is Yifan who flushes, hands hiding the outline of his erection even when his husband has already seen all of it. Yixing quickly goes down, placing his face over the royal's crotch to kiss the hands covering it while his fingertips caress the prince's inner thigh. He easily removes the obstruction as the elder turns putty under his touches. The scientist slides Yifan's pants down, his cold fingers wrapping around the freed stiffness and the elder hisses. Yixing easily gives in when his husband arches his body against him, as if the younger is filled with renewed energy when he hears the elder moan his name along with the words, "Please, take me."

They sleep naked that night even if the breeze is colder than usual. They don't mind, as the warmth radiating from them after their intercourse envelops their tired bodies in a cocoon of comfort while the nature lulls them to sleep, hands intertwined, legs tangled.

 

Lu Han has warned Yixing about the second trimester but halfway through it the scientist still runs to the elder because his husband is being too whiny and wants to keep him in the palace at all times, even though the prince knows that he is making it harder for the younger to attend to his duties. The healer only tells him that there is nothing that can be done about it. Yifan is bound to feel insecure during that time as he sees himself gain weight faster than what is deemed normal, and with the hormones acting up, it leads to him thinking that his body is not desirable anymore.

"Your reaction to his clingy behaviour will determine his mood for the day and will have a huge impact on how he sees himself," Lu Han says as he moves around his laboratory, rearranging the specimens of leaves that Yixing's men have extracted from the trees and bushes growing in the area of the mountain range that he has shown to Yifan.

"But I can't just suddenly drop my duties," Yixing sighs, "It's not like I don't _want_ to stay here with him, it's just that there are things I have to do."

"Use the younger prince at your disposal," the healer looks towards Sehun who is currently lounging on the sofa in his office, munching on the snacks that Lu Han has prepared for Yixing, "I heard you've relegated him to do palace duties because your husband can't do them anymore."

When the scientist doesn't say anything, Lu Han adds, "Just do what you did before," he removes the current specimen from the centrifuge to place a new one, satisfied to get the results this quick, "make him go to the city and meet who you usually have to meet and make him bring back what you have to work on."

Yixing considers the suggestion for a moment, coming to the conclusion that it is feasible as the younger prince might even do a better job than him, considering that he doesn’t have the language barrier between him and the Llwyth people.

"It's not everyday that Yifan asks for you to stay, right?" Lu Han throws the question to Yixing as he notes the results of the latest specimen while the data for the other one is still in progress. When the younger shakes his head, the healer adds, "Yixing, he just needs reassurance that you're not yet tired of him."

"I kind of figured that out already," the scientist answers, fingers playing with the hem of his cloak.

"If you did then what are you still doing here?" Lu Han chuckles before looking at Yixing, "Go to your husband. Reassure him. Make love to him if you must." The younger flushes at the other's suggestion, straightening up where he's leaning against the elder's work table.

"Lu Han!" His eye are wide, hands balled in fists at his side before shifting his gaze to Sehun, thankful that the second prince seems to be too glued to what he is watching on his tablet to hear what the two older men are talking about.

The healer only smiles to himself. "Just go," he instructs the younger before shooing him away with one hand, "I'll send the results to your tablet as soon as I’m done."

Yixing hesitates, but scrambles when the elder starts throwing papers at him. He walks towards their chambers where he knows Yifan is either reading another book or is waiting for him in the garden as the scent of Serenliebes seems to help calm his hormones down.

Coming back to the palace after hours of being in Sonnenstadt always makes Yixing feel two things. He is always wary about facing his husband once again, especially when he left in the early hours of the day with the elder pouting at him and accusing him of his duties being more important than the royal. Yixing is never sure what he will come home to after such a morning, especially when the elder doesn't answer his calls during the time that he is away. However, even with such feelings, his lingering worries are always overridden by his excitement to see Yifan's face light up when the younger finally comes home with a basket of fruits in hand. Being back by his husband’s side also means that the scientist can take the time to talk to their unborn child who lately has been giving small kicks to the sound of his and Yifan's voice, as if the baby can already recognize his or her parents. The thought makes Yixing giddy as they will have the chance to find out the gender of their child at Yifan's next checkup. It will help them prepare the necessary things, like the baby's clothes and the colour of the room, even if the crib will be placed in their room for the meantime. Although the most important thing, the baby's name, is already decided on so they will not have a lot to think about.

The royal family seem to have liked the name they have chosen as well, the queen being the first to give them a gift, in the form of a huge diamond, the largest in her box of gems. Yixing wanted to refuse at first seeing as their child was still quite far from being born but the old lady insisted, saying, "This is for my grandchild, please take it and make certain that he or she will remember that he or she had a grandmother who gave this gift to Cynseren."

For now, the diamond is placed on the ledge of their bedroom from where one can look over the garden, the same one that Yixing tended to and that is now being taken care of by the prince. The gem shines and lights their room in a million of colours when the light hits it, reminding the couple of their child being the gem in their life, giving more colours to their already colourful life.

When Yixing opens the door to their bedroom, he hears his husband's voice, deep and melodic, as he talks to their child. The younger has been coming home to such happenings a lot lately, sometimes hiding by the entrance of their room just to hear what Yifan tells their child, amused by the stories that the elder shares to their baby. Occasionally he catches Yifan talking to their child in a mixed language, starting in Llwyth but ending in English. There are days, such as today, when the prince talks to their child about Yixing.

"Your Baba is smaller than me," he hears his husband say, repeating himself when he's already told their child before. Yixing's lips curve up when he hears himself being referred to as _Baba_ , as the royal insisted for him to be called _father_ in his native tongue by their child. "But his heart is larger than anyone else’s I've ever met and Tata has met a lot of people."

Unable to just listen and not join in on the fun, Yixing opens the door fully to let himself in, surprising Yifan who's seated on their bed. The elder smiles when he sees the scientist, a basket of fruits in his hand which he places on their table before padding to their bed. Yixing removes his boots before joining the prince on the mattress, his lips instantly connecting with Yifan's while his palm finds itself on his husband's belly.

"I missed you," Yixing whispers against the elder's lips, smiling when he feels something kick at his hand. He looks down to where the prince's stomach is protruding, "both of you."

The younger, as his way of reassuring the royal that he still loves him very much and that that will not change it anytime soon, kisses down Yifan's torso, glad that the elder’s shirt is open as it always is whenever he is alone in their room. He spreads kisses all over his husband’s body, smiling against the prince's skin when he feels fingers thread into his long hair. The scientist continues until he reaches Yifan's belly, where he stops to whisper words about what he did in the city that day, as if he is reporting to his child. This is what Yixing enjoys the most about his husband's pregnancy, being able to talk to someone who isn't born yet without being laughed at, being able to care for someone, for two people at the same time, two people who are the most important to him.

Like always, he playfully asks their child what he did for the day, scolding their baby whenever he thinks Yifan has had a hard time that day. Even if the elder doesn't say it, Yixing knows he had bouts of crying again, the red still rimming his usually healthy and happy eyes giving him away. The younger doesn't ask though because that will only aggravate things and he already has an idea as to why his husband has been crying.

The second trimester is, according to Lu Han, not the most dangerous in terms of keeping the child safe inside Yifan but it is when the prince's hormones are the most volatile, compared to the first and the last trimester. Yixing has resigned himself to accepting everything that the elder throws at him, but he can't hold it in when he knows that his husband is crying because he thinks badly of himself. Instead of opening the topic however, he makes Yifan feel loved, in ways that he knows the elder likes; doing the things that he knows the prince enjoys doing together and spending more time with him. And whenever Yifan happens to be feeling the need for proximity more in his nether regions, well, Yixing is more than happy to show him how much he is loved in that way as well. Most of the time though they just spend hours on end in bed, sharing kisses and warmth by keeping the other in their arms. Usually Yixing will perch his head on the elder's chest so that he can easily move from talking to Yifan to their child who always seems to be up to listen to the two older men babble about the smallest of matters.

It isn't a hard decision to tell Sehun to take over for the day when Yixing wakes up in the morning to find the prince clinging to his arm in his sleep, mouth slightly parted, huffing and puffing out hot air. Yifan doesn't need to ask that day, doesn't need to tell him to stay and cry himself better when Yixing has to leave nonetheless. The younger has come to understand that he will have to take the initiative more often. After all, family is always more important than anything else.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Days breeze by without them noticing and the next thing Yixing knows, Yifan is squeezing his arms and shouting at him to wake up. According to his lessons with Lu Han and the additional readings he did to prepare for the welcoming of their child, giving birth always happens one hundred fifty days after conception. The exact time is unknown but when the one who is bearing the child starts feeling contractions on the day of birth, he or she should be brought to the healer immediately. That is the reason why Yifan has been asked to sleep in the infirmary inside the palace the night before his due date, the prince requesting for a big bed to be prepared for him because he wants Yixing to sleep beside him.

When Yixing looks towards the clock on the bedside table, he sees that it is only two in the morning which means the whole palace is still asleep as the work to prepare for the day usually starts at four.

"Yixing," the prince is wheezing and his hand holds the scientist’s arm in a vice-like grip, "it hurts."

The younger tries not to panic as he reaches for his communication device and dials Lu Han, informing the healer in broken sentences that Yifan is already having contractions and is in pain. He hears the elder's quick movements from the other end of the line, frantically telling him to wait for him to arrive and to stay with the prince. The healer also reminds him what to do to keep Yifan relaxed as Lu Han prepares all the necessary equipment and calls the people who will help with the heir's birthing process.

Not even fifteen minutes pass before Lu Han comes bursting through the doors, followed by his apprentices and the nurses who were hand picked by the healer to assist them. He finds Yixing and Yifan huddled together on the bed with the prince's face pressed to the younger's chest. The healer doesn't have to ask the prince how much pain he is in, he can already tell just by watching the way the royal’s face contorts while Yixing rubs his belly.

"My prince," the healer addresses Yifan whose hands are clutching onto the front of Yixing's pajama top, the top two buttons already ripped off because of the force of the elder’s grip, "I'll have to give you anesthesia so you won't feel the pain."

The prince just nods, unable to say, "Hurry up," even if he wants to scream it as another wave of contractions, these one’s with a longer duration, makes him clam up and pull at his husband's shirt again. Yixing just keeps on rubbing his belly and his back, trying to soothe him as much as he can while Lu Han prepares the anesthesia that will be given to the heir.

"It's going to be over soon, love," Yixing whispers against Yifan's forehead as he watches the nurses prepare the operating room that is directly in front of them, "just a little bit longer," he continues when he sees one of the them walk towards their bed, telling the couple that the room is ready for Yifan, "for Cynseren."

Everything happens fast after Yifan is moved to the stretcher to carry him into the sterile operating room. Lu Han asks Yixing to wear a gown over his clothes and instructs him to stay by the prince's head, as the elder will be awake throughout the process. As with people on Earth, Yifan goes through a Caesarean section, a procedure which Lu Han told Yixing is something that is done to every pregnant person, man or woman, in Tuhwntmae’rsêr. The operation is quick, Lu Han cutting a horizontal line just below Yifan’s navel, repeating the process until he reaches the placenta. Yixing keeps whispering words of encouragement and praise to his husband, even if the elder is not in pain anymore. His low mumbling is suddenly drowned out by a cry and Lu Han’s voice telling the nurse to take note of the time of delivery. The scientist tries his best not to peek to have a first look at their child as he wants to be able to share the moment with his husband. And he does not have to wait long. One of the nurses walks to where Yixing is sitting, holding their crying child in her arms, the baby swaddled in the richest of fabrics.

“Congratulations Your Highnesses,” she says as she takes the last few steps to Yixing, “your child is healthy and beautiful.”

The woman shows the baby to the couple, the prince’s eyes teary as he catches the first glimpse of their child. As the elder is still under anesthesia, the nurse advises Yixing not to let the royal hold the child just yet before transferring the baby to the scientist’s arms.

Yixing’s breath hitches when he lays eyes on their child. The little boy’s hair is the same wispy silvery shade as Yifan's, but at the root Yixing can see a hint of brown that has the same colour as his own. Cynseren's eyes are as beautiful as Yifan's, his left eye being aqua while his right eye is amber, colours that strongly resemble the prince's, one with a shade or two lighter while the other is of a slightly darker colour. Unlike the prince's irises that are rimmed with black, Cynseren's are surrounded by a soft brown, matching his Baba's. The tone of his skin is also inherited from Yixing; unlike Yifan's skin with its extremely pale colour, Cynseren’s has a healthy light to it, a warm glow that the prince loves about the younger's skin. On his right ear, the baby already has an earring, one that is identical to Yifan’s. The scientist knows that its purpose is to keep track of a lot of things from how many days the person has lived to their blood sugar level. Yixing can't stop himself from tearing up when he sees Cynseren look at him and stop crying, as if he recognizes the person holding him, moving every which way to get comfortable in his father's arms.

"Yixing," Lu Han snaps him out of his reverie a few minutes later, "Yifan," he looks at the prince who, understandably, looks even more exhausted than the healer, "Congratulations." The smile he gives them is genuine and warm, the corners of his mouth stretching out further when he reaches to pat Cynseren on the head. "My apprentice told me he is very healthy but we still have to closely monitor him and Yifan in the next three days until the prince's wound is healed completely," the healer is interrupted when one of the nurses taps him on the shoulder to give him a feeding bottle for the child. Lu Han hands the cylindrical container towards Yixing as he watches his apprentice and the nurses take down the sterile field they have created.

"We'll move the prince back into the infirmary bed soon," the healer pats Cynseren's head as Yixing feeds him, "he might fall asleep after being moved." The scientist hums in understanding, eyes fixated on his child as the little boy sucks on the nipple attached to the nursing bottle. Yifan is still quite weak but he still tries to reach his hand out to their child. Seeing this, Yixing moves closer to his husband and shows him their child who is currently happily feeding. "He'll mostly be asleep for the first few weeks," Lu Han lectures them as he watches the couple coo at their offspring who has quickly downed the contents of his bottle and is already yawning, supporting the healer's statement. They already know this, already know how their life will be turned upside down, quite literally, now that their child is born. Both have read many books about babies, to prepare themselves for the arrival of their new family member. But even knowing of the hardships never stopped them or erased their excitement about the approaching birth of Cynseren; it only made them more appreciative of the period they have left together without another life in their hands, spending more time with each other than they previously had.

 

Two days after they have returned to their chambers and are left alone to care for their child, as the royal couple wanted no help from their servants, they both think that that was a bad decision. Yixing contemplates, as he watches Yifan rock Cynseren to sleep, that no amount of reading and no book in the world could have made the couple realize just how much their life will change the moment a baby is added to the picture. Yixing had to give Sehun almost all of the duties that he has taken over due to Yifan's pregnancy so that he is able to help with taking care of their son, as the child is awake for most of the night but sleeps through the better part of the day. He can't let the prince take care of the child by himself, especially since he knows that the elder is dying to get back to his former position, missing the work that he has grown up to do and the kind of exercise that keeps his days filled.

Seven days into having Cynseren in their lives, Yixing tells the prince to sleep that night while he stays up with their child. Surprised that the younger wants to shoulder the whole responsibility of caring for the baby throughout the night, Yifan asks the scientist where the sudden resolution comes from.

"You need to get your body used to your old sleeping pattern again," Yixing replies as he shows Cynseren the toy that his Uncle Sehun had specially made for him. When he doesn't get a reply from the elder, he looks to where Yifan is preparing their bed, still not used to seeing his husband’s stomach back to it’s old state, his muscled abs slowly coming back. Yixing can’t deny that he misses being able to rub his hands and face on the protruding belly every now and then. When the prince clears his throat, Yixing snaps out of his reverie and adds, "I know how much you want to go back and take over your duties again." The scientist smiles when he sees Yifan's eyes widen in understanding, "You're completely healed now and according to Lu Han, he'll allow you to go back to work after seven more days if you're healthy enough by then." Yixing looks away from his husband when he hears Cynseren make a sound prompting him to start pinching their child's chubby cheeks.

"Yixing," the younger doesn't look at his husband, occupying himself with their son instead, "You know I can stay with you a little bit longer. I can't have you take care of Cynseren on your own."

"We still have a few days," Yixing replies as Cynseren giggles, "but we need you to get back to your routine or else you'll always be tired in the field." The elder walks over to wrap his arms around Yixing, reaching for their giggling child's nose and tapping it.

"Are you sure you can handle this one on your own?" Yifan asks with his eyes on Cynseren and his lips on the apple of Yixing's cheek, his index finger still teasing the baby’s nose, the giggle bubbling up to the open roof of their bedroom.

Yixing turns around to have his lips instead of his cheek touch his husband's before smiling against the soft pair, "Love, I have a whole palace to help me."

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

It is on such a fine day, the skies clear of the clouds to show the people in Mondstadt the stars that govern their skies, while Yifan and Yixing are in the garden with Cynseren, that a ground-shattering news is given to them by one of the king's most trusted guards. Even Cynseren, who previously was smiling happily in his Baba's hold, is somehow able to read the sudden change in the atmosphere, frowning up at his fathers while clutching a toy to his chest. The guard leaves immediately after relaying the message to the couple, informing them that the queen is waiting for them in the king's bedroom.

The scientist, seeing the shock on his husband's face, thanks the guard and tells him that they will go to the queen's side right away after leaving their son in the hands of one of the maidservants. Yifan suddenly takes Cynseren from the younger's hold, hugging the child to his chest before leaving the garden to go to their child's room, the same chamber Yixing used to inhabit before moving in with the royal. The younger doesn't question his husband's sudden actions, he just walks behind the elder, following him to Cynseren's room and then to their own bedroom. The prince instructs for him to change into his grey tunic as Yixing doesn't have a black one just yet, so the younger does, knowing that this is part of the Llwyth people's mourning process, one thing that they have similar with humans.

When they enter the king's bedroom, it smells of incense and a scent that Yixing can only liken to chamomile. The younger can feel Yifan squeeze his hand as they walk closer to the king's bed, where the old man is lying down with his eyes closed and his hands placed over his heart. To his utter distress, the scientist doesn't know how to comfort Yifan. Throughout the whole process of them changing into their clothes and moving to the innermost chambers of the king’s and queen’s residence, the prince held his tongue and didn’t speak a single word; showing less emotions than when he and Yixing first met. Sehun is already there, holding the queen as she weeps into his robes. The young prince himself has red eyes as well and tears are still rimming his lids, threatening to spill. Yifan walks closer to his father, letting go of Yixing's hand for only a second before holding onto it again as if Yixing is his lifeline. The younger encourages his husband to move to his father’s side, whispering to the royal soothingly with each step they take forward, uncaring that he himself is struggling with the situation. Even once they are already seated on the edge of the king's bed, Yixing still can't come to terms with reality. Even with his eyes seeing the unusually pallid colour of the king’s skin, the scientist still can't believe it. Even with his husband's hand squeezing his own so tight it’s almost painful, there is still an inkling of doubt in him; the king can't be dead.

 

Thousands flock Dinas Hynafol upon hearing of the king’s passing, some expressing their gratitude to the great king before leaving for work and some going straight after completing their duties in Sonnenstadt to say their farewells to the celebrated royal. Yixing stays by the entrance to welcome everyone who arrives to pay their respects to the deceased king. Yifan and Sehun, along with the queen, are sitting in the throne room as people come and go to give their condolences to the royals. It is a three-day process, three days of mourning for the whole planet before they prepare the deceased for the next step, one where only the closest of kin are allowed to be present. Yixing has only read about it in books, has never been invited to the funeral of a Llwyth so this is his first. Which makes it particularly painful, seeing as he treated the king like his own father since the king, from the very moment Yixing stepped foot into the palace, also treated him as if the human was his own son. Flashes of memories from a funeral that Yixing has already almost completely forgotten keep him up the night before they have to perform the ceremony for the king. The happenings of that day in his childhood are something that he hasn't shared to his husband yet, something that he doesn't think the elder will push out of him as well seeing as Yifan didn’t question more about his family when he shared to his husband about him being an orphan. It is a part of his past that he doesn't want to remember anymore despite it being a celebration for his own parents. He was young when they died, so he doesn't have many memories about them but he is thankful to them for bringing him into the world. If not for them he would not have been able to achieve anything and meet Yifan, or give life to a beautiful child. And yet, the pain of their funeral is something he prefers to keep bottled up.

Beside him, Yifan sleeps with his back to the younger, something that has never happened before. Even when the couple have arguments, they never sleep this way. When he sees the elder’s shoulders tremble, he knows it isn't because of the breeze since the temperature is just right, as it always is. Then he hears a choked back sob, the sound alarming him to wrap his arm around his husband. They do not exchange words, Yixing just rubs Yifan's arms and back, warm and soothing, before turning the elder around to place his husband’s head on his chest.

It reminds Yixing once more of the days when he was the one mourning, when no one was there to comfort him. So he does everything in his power to give his husband what he wasn't given before. He kisses the crown of the prince's head as he rocks them both, satisfied to feel the elder slowly calm down as his tears soak the front of Yixing's shirt. It is rare for him to see Yifan cry, rare for him to see such an emotion and, what’s more, towards his father because the younger always saw them interact so formally with each other, not something one would expect to see from a father and son. Yifan also always holds himself with so much control that it surprises the younger every time he sees the elder cry. They fall asleep like that, with Yifan's head nuzzled into Yixing's neck, an unnecessary apology falling from the prince's lips.

 

Yixing and Yifan are both wearing black tunics, leaving Cynseren behind in the palace as the elder deems it inappropriate for their child to see the last ceremony in celebration of his father's life. Yixing doesn't argue as he himself wouldn't want their child to witness it. Their cerbyd cruises above the rocky mountain range as they fly to the highest mountain in the whole of Tuhwntmae'rsêr, _Der Gipfel aller Gipfel_. Its summit is flat and provides just enough space to have a few people stand around to pay the king their last respect before the royal priest lights the bottom of the wooden frame where the deceased ruler is placed. Yifan, being the heir of the throne, gets asked by the priest to kiss his father's forehead before removing the crown that has been lain over the king's hands. Once the prince is done with the ritual, the priest walks forward with a torch in his hand, asking the people of the royal family to say their last few goodbyes as he lights the eight torches placed around them. Yixing goes first, followed by Sehun then Yifan, giving the floor to the queen last. Words of praise and gratitude fill the air as they open their mouths to celebrate the king's life one last time.

Yixing is the only one to speak in English, the other members of the royal family speaking in Llwyth. With the queen being done with her part, she gives the king a last kiss before she gestures for the priest to continue with the ritual. After the priest says a few words as well, he inserts the torch below the timber frame and asks the royal family to stand back. When the wood catches fire he throws an assortment of ground leaves into the flames and the smell of the chamomile fills the air once more, overtaking the incense that the priest lit before they started the whole ritual. When the hem of the king's white robes catch fire, they move away and start walking back down from the mountain, following the path they had taken to go up to the summit, unable to watch the last moments of the king’s physical body’s existence before its ashes are lifted by the wind.

Yixing looks back to the summit before he enters their vehicle. He learned from the books that the Llwyth people take the body of their dead to the highest mountain and burn it so that the deceased can be one with the stars. To them, the ashes rising up is the equivalent of the soul and as the scientist sees the smoke of the king's body ascend towards the sky, he hears his husband whisper, _“Cael taith ddiogel i'r sêr, tad.”_

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Seven days after grieving the loss of their beloved king, the royal priest starts the preparations for the heir to rise to the throne. The ceremony is something that they have already prepared for since before Yifan’s father’s passing, knowing that the king was already too old to continue his duties for much longer but the heir didn't want to take the title while his father was still alive. So upon the prince's request, they pushed back the ceremony as far as possible. Now that the king has passed however, Yifan has no more reason not to do it, not to take the title that is rightfully his.

The ceremony happens in the throne room and, as with other important rites, the people of Tuhwntmae'rsêr are all invited to witness Yifan taking over the planet’s reign. Just like when they got wedded, the big hall is filled once more with people, citizens who want to see their new king ascend to the throne.

Yifan is wearing a pure white robe, as opposed to his wedding robe that had incorporated designs in gold. On top of his head rests his circlet that indicates his position in the royal family, one that he will pass on to his son as part of the ritual. Yixing, as instructed, sits on the throne that Yifan has abandoned, watching as his husband walks into the hall, down the aisle where a carpet in regal blue colour has been laid out. Cynseren sits on the younger’s lap and points to Yifan every now and then before looking up to Yixing as if to tell him that that's his father, as if the scientist didn't know.

The ritual is fairly short compared to their matrimony, the royal priest removing Yifan's circlet first and placing it on a blue cushion held by one of his assistants. The old man is then handed a bundle of branches whose leaves he uses to tap against Yifan's head, shoulders and arms as he mumbles a few words. The queen has told Yixing that the priest is chanting a prayer for Yifan to have good health so that he will be able to lead their planet to the right direction with a sound mind and a pure heart.

After the priest has finished saying his prayers, he calls for Yixing. The younger is startled but stands up, taking Cynseren with him to stand where the priest has pointed him to, beside his husband. The circlet that the priest removed from Yifan is then placed over Cynseren’s head, the boy’s hair now longer than before, showing his mixed half chocolate brown and half silver hair. Yixing remembers this look to be called an ombre style back on Earth, their child’s hair brown from the root but gradually changing to silver as it reaches the tip. The whole throne room bursts into laughter when the boy, who’s only a few days shy of being a year old, giggles after the circlet falls down to his shoulders as it is still too big to fit his head. The priest then calls to one of the maidservants to take the child. Although surprised, Yixing hands Cynseren over to the woman, the child too preoccupied with his new toy to realize that he is not in his father's arms anymore.

"As the future king's other half, you too will be part of the ritual," the priest informs Yixing, retrieving the bundle of branches once more to mumble a slightly different prayer for the scientist, the human catching a few words here and there. Another assistant comes in, bringing a crown that is similar to the king's though it is slightly smaller. The priest takes this and places it on Yixing's head. Then he moves to fetch the crown that has been placed on the king's seat, leaving the scientist stunned and rooted to his spot.

"Don't worry, Yixing," Yifan reaches to squeeze the younger's hand while the priest is still gone, "it's just for formalities." The scientist nods dumbly, eyes looking up at his husband's smiling ones, "The crown fits you well, Love."

Yixing doesn't have the time to fight the blush back down that's colouring his cheeks, as he is still not used to being royalty, because the priest is already returning with the crown. The scientist watches as the priest and his husband exchange a few words that are part of the ritual’s script, where Yifan takes full responsibility for running the whole planet, something that he has already been doing for the past thousand days of his life. After a few exchanges, the priest finally and carefully places the golden crown over Yifan's head and the crowd gathered inside the throne room explodes into cheers; the sound echoing from the walls and leaving through the entrance, creating a chain of reactions from the people inside to the ones waiting outside.

Yifan then reaches his hand out for Yixing to take, the younger's eyes flitting to their son. The king beckons for the maidservant to bring their child to them and Cynseren immediately opens his arms when he sees his Baba. With their child in his arm, the scientist places his hand on top of Yifan's before they march up to the thrones waiting for them, the queen and Sehun standing up and waiting for them to take their rightful places.

When they reach the top of the dais, the cheers of the Llwyth people seem to grow even louder and to Yixing's surprise the sound become louder still when the priest bellows, _“Powstańcie i czcijcie króla!”_

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

With Cynseren already put to sleep, snoozing away in his cot, Yixing looks over his remaining belongings from Earth, the box sneakily placed by the crew in his room before they left to return to Earth. The watch Baekhyun left behind is still working and it tells him he’s been on Tuhwntmae’rsêr for four years now. Minseok’s lucky charm is there, which Yixing was hesitant to take from him despite the elder’s assurances. Kyungsoo’s book about the planets and the stars, already quite old with the paper browning at the edges. Jongdae’s pen that has a small solar panel and instantly lights up in the dark. And then there are the many photos he brought with him on their expedition, one of which he took with everyone from his crew. It is one of the only pictures where Yixing is included, the scientist always having found an excuse to not be part of whatever gathering they had. He couldn’t get away from that one though since it was his birthday, especially not when Jongdae and Baekhyun had cornered him in his office and dragged him to the nearest pub with a promise to not keep him up past his 10 o’clock sleeping time.

His fingertips brush over the photograph, something rare nowadays, even for humans who keep everything in digital format. In the middle of reminiscing how Jongdae and Baekhyun actually almost broke one of the glass cases they brought with them to the expedition, arms envelop him and draw him close to lean back against the firm chest of a warm body.

“Do you miss them?” The air carries Yifan’s voice to his ears, deep and with a bit of tremble. Yixing, in Tuhwntmae’rsêr time, hasn’t been with Yifan for long but he can tell that the elder is nervous by the way his words seem a bit distorted. He speaks so quietly that the human barely hears it.

If there is something that the couple has in common, it is that they can’t lie, especially not to the other. Keep something to themselves for a long time, yes, but to lie about it, never. So Yixing relaxes in his husband’s hold, curling his hand over the king’s arms as he answers, “Sometimes.”

Yixing basks in the silence, a rare occurrence, their chambers always noisy whenever Cynseren is awake. The growing child wreaks havoc in every corner of the palace and makes its residents laugh at his adorable behavior and funny antics, always pulling his cuteness-card on his uncle and his father’s guards. The scientist looks at the moon, eyes scrutinizing the most minute details he can see from where he is even without the help of a telescope. When the silence continues for a good few minutes, he looks up to his husband, finding the elder’s eyes trained to the moon as well.

After what feels like an eternity, the king finally looks at him and asks, “Do you want to go back?” With the way his eyebrows frown and his forehead creases, the younger knows there are a thousand unvoiced questions that accompany it: _Do you not love me anymore? Would you be able to leave us? Am I not enough to make you stay?_

The question takes Yixing aback. Never before has the elder asked something out loud regarding the scientist wanting to return to Earth. So he knows Yifan is asking in all seriousness, prepared to give a solution to whatever Yixing’s answer may be.

It is true that even after years of living on the foreign planet, learning the ways and language of its inhabitants, even being married to and starting a family with one of them, Yixing still feels a little alienated; missing dropped jokes due to the language barrier, being laughed at for making mistakes not just in pronunciation but also his use of appropriate words and though it has been so long already, he is still unused to the stares he receives whenever he comes to Sonnenstadt. He still feels unworthy of being treated like a royal, often hiding in the palace just to avoid the way people bow down to him like he's some kind of god.

But despite all of this, Yixing knows that if someone were to ask him if given the chance, if he would ever change his decision about staying on Tuhwntmae’rsêr, he wouldn’t need to think for long. He knows the answer to that question. _No,_ a million times over. He would always choose to stay here, tucked under his husband’s arms, their child in his hold, as they share the warmth in a palace where the sun cannot reach.

“Not without you,” Yixing responds with finality, not missing the sigh of relief his husband has been holding in. The human then looks at Cynseren, the child asleep in his crib with his mouth slightly parted, arms raised on the sides of his head making the little boy look as if he is constantly surprised, pulling a smile onto Yixing’s face. He directs his gaze to Yifan once again, the elder’s gold and sapphire eyes never leaving his figure. With a smile and a squeeze of his husband’s arms, Yixing adds, “Not without our family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ word/phrase/sentence (language): meaning]
> 
>  
> 
> Cynseren (W): Protostar, star that is still young
> 
>  
> 
> Tata (P): Dad
> 
> Der Gipfel aller Gipfel (G): Peak of all peaks
> 
> Cael taith ddiogel i'r sêr, tad (W): Safe journey to the stars, Father
> 
> Powstańcie i czcijcie króla (P): Rise and honour your king


	8. Epilogue: Oasis

"Tata! Baba!" Cynseren's voice wakes them from their nap, a series of knocks on their door accompanying their son's panicked call. Yifan and Yixing quickly untangle themselves from each other before reaching for their night robes, the silky material soft as it wraps well around their bodies. When they open the door they find Cynseren and Xin Yue standing in front of their bedroom, the younger of the two siblings standing behind her brother with a frightened expression on her face.

"What is it?" Yifan asks, standing alert when he sees the expression his daughter's face.

"A ship landed near the shore of Tuch aus Diamanten," Cynseren explains without beating around the bush. 

Ever since their son turned 7,000 days old, he has started taking some responsibilities from his parents, helping both in different departments. Other than busying himself from both his studies and his royal duties, the young prince is also his sister's guard and teacher. The heir eagerly comes back from Sonnenstadt where he goes to school with the other Llwyth children to share new stories to his sibling. The two have been inseparable ever since the birth of the royal couple's second child, the heir doting on the baby that looks very much like him aside from the colour of their eyes, never letting anything harm his little sister. So it isn't a surprise that Xin Yue is behind her brother, hands tightly holding the fabric of the heir's cloak.

"They said you know them, Baba," the prince adds, turning his attention to Yixing. And then the puzzle suddenly pieces itself together.

After years of having no connection with his crew, Yixing decided to try the communication device that they have left for him, surprised to see recent messages on the ancient device. They started out asking how the astrophysicist is doing and if he needs saving from his marriage. His crew also left him reports about the new planet that the people of Earth have moved in to, even sending pictures of the planet they have named Oasis. Towards the end of the line of messages, they asked permission to visit Tuhwntmae'rsêr again, promising to bring only the crew and nobody else but they did not disclose why they plan to see Yixing and the Llwyth people again. It seemed urgent however, and the scientist told his husband about it, the King then talked to the head of the royal army and the members of the royal family if such a thing can be allowed. Deeming it as a way to ease his husband's inapparent loneliness, Yifan allows it with one condition: If they bring others with them, they will be brought down without explanations. Yixing was overjoyed about the prospect of seeing his friends again but he hid it well, only nodding and quickly typing a reply for his crew to see.

Now here they are, standing in front of the royal family years after their departure from the planet. And the scientist can't help but beam at them, their looks not having changed too much from when they were in their early twenties. After quick exchanges of pleasantries and of the royal couple introducing their children to the humans, Yixing asks more about their new planet, the crew more than happy to share about Oasis over snacks and drinks.

When they've exhausted every photo and information about their new home, the crew look towards each other and stay silent, waiting for the right time to open the topic behind their visit. Yixing sees the tense silence and the quiet conversation his crew members are having. He decides to break it and be the one to give them the opportunity to speak up.

"I'm sure you're not here only to ask us how we're doing and exchange stories," the scientist says, smiling at them to show that there's no need to be shy or afraid or both, "what are you really here for?"

The four look at each other, Kyungsoo, Baekhyun and Jongdae training their eyes to where Minseok is seated directly in front of Yifan. To this day the astronaut still stands as their leader and with this burden, he opens his mouth when the King nods for him to answer.

With a gulp and a bit of stammer when he starts, Minseok finally tells the truth, "We're here to ask a favour."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Xin Yue = New Moon
> 
>  
> 
> To everyone who read through this story, thank you very much. To those who took the time to leave comments, thank you very much, your kind words fuel me to write more and do more for this ship. I hope you'll keep supporting Fanfan and Xingxing❤️
> 
> Also, this fic will be available for AO3 users only in 24hrs or so. Sorry for this but it's something I must do. Thank you again! :)


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